Rugby 2018 Discussion
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
Good well balanced article here from Guscott on Farrell and that tackle. I like the way he's broken down the movement on the pitch prior to the tackle and what led to the collision occurring in the way that it did..
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/46090134
As an English rugby fan I've been slow to embrace Farrell and doubt I completely will. I don't like the way he comes across and think he has a snide and petulant side to him that affects his split decision making sometimes. I regard that sort of thing as a serious character flaw and one that can cost your team. It doesn't help of course that he has followed Wilkinson who epitomised the hard but unscrupulously fair player and is regarded as a genuinely likeable chap whatever colour shirt you cheer.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/46090134
As an English rugby fan I've been slow to embrace Farrell and doubt I completely will. I don't like the way he comes across and think he has a snide and petulant side to him that affects his split decision making sometimes. I regard that sort of thing as a serious character flaw and one that can cost your team. It doesn't help of course that he has followed Wilkinson who epitomised the hard but unscrupulously fair player and is regarded as a genuinely likeable chap whatever colour shirt you cheer.
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I saw in a tweet there earlier that apparently there was an ex-England player who did a radio interview early last week where he said Farrell leads with a high shoulder and is likely to get red-carded some day under the new rules 
Andy Goode...I saw in a tweet there earlier that apparently there was an ex-England player who did a radio interview early last week where he said Farrell leads with a high shoulder and is likely to get red-carded some day under the new rules
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Pre cog from him there. Reckons Farrell should've been yellowed but not cited.
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Matt Dawson saying #notformykids. I see Kyran Bracken also comments on the tweet after this that he retired because of concussion and big hits. I only played for a few years and I got 2 concussions and broken bones. One of them was in a training session where someone simply didn't like me playing well and walloped me. The other was a knee in the face from my bad tackle technique in a match. There were a crazy number of serious broken bones the year I finished playing. It mostly came down to inevitable results from bad coaching in tackling, rucks and scrums. I don't know how it is nowadays but I imagine that year there were a lot of parents who heard about this stuff and thought twice about involving their kids.
Something I misunderstood there about the citing situation - they can only act if they deem it a red card offense? It's getting lost in the narrative here and making World Rugby look doubly bad for seemingly condoning this tackle (which isn't the case). They need to clear up the situation fast or a lot of players are going to be feeling aggrieved about cards they got.
It’s definitely a contentious subject for parents I know. A lot of them have decided they don’t want their kids playing rugby, despite playing themselves.
Doesn’t help when we have days like last Monday where two kids turned up to my 9 year old’s class on crutches after rugby matches over the weekend, with another lad still at home after getting concussed.
Didn't he come on late in the game?
Yeah sure, the rumour is that he won't start again.
I played from the age of 5 to my second year of college (when I had to quit because work were going to fire me if I didn't stop coming in bloodied and bruised). Didn't play again for ten years but decided to try and get back into it when I was living in Singapore a couple of years ago as a way to meet people and keep fit. I really enjoyed the first few preseason training sessions, working on fitness and some handling skills until about 3 weeks in we started with some contact.
The first time I stepped over a ruck to steal a ball, I was hit by what I can only imagine stepping in front of a train feels like. I've broken and hurt all sorts of stuff playing rugby but that was the first time I've ever been genuinely frightened on the field. In fairness the fella who went through me had been playing Currie Cup rugby the season before but in general, the collisions during the few weeks I stuck it out before saying "feck this" were of a different sport to the one I remembered.
Ah that couldn't be. I mean if you were told you won't start again as long as I'm manager would you stick around?
He might have been told he's On Report or something. Actually, I think I'm going to stop talking about it til something more solid comes out because it seems to be total rumours.
Yeah to be honest with Rory Best injured I would've pretty much wrapped Cronin in cotton wool until a bigger game so I'm surprised he got game time at all. That said I see nothing about this bust up either and I'm sure they happen all the time in rugby. It's such a physical game.
If SA won on Saturday, what price England and their supporters would have posed a question or two about this tackle from RG Snyman and Thomas Du Toit?
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England have named their team to play New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday.
C'mon England! Ugg, i can't believe i just wrote that!
New Zealand: 1. Karl Tu'inukuafe 2. Codie Taylor 3. Owen Franks
4. Sam Whitelock 5.Brodie Retallick 6. Liam Squire 7. Ardie Savea
8. Kieran Read (C) 9. Aaron Smith 10. Beauden Barrett11. Rieko Ioane 12. Sonny Bill Williams 13. Jack Goodhue 14. Ben Smith 15. Damian McKenzie
16. Dane Coles 17. Ofa Tuungafasi 18. Nepo Laulala 19. Scott Barrett 20. Matt Todd 21. TJ Perenara 22. Richie Mo'unga 23. Ryan Crotty
C'mon England! Ugg, i can't believe i just wrote that!
New Zealand: 1. Karl Tu'inukuafe 2. Codie Taylor 3. Owen Franks
4. Sam Whitelock 5.Brodie Retallick 6. Liam Squire 7. Ardie Savea
8. Kieran Read (C) 9. Aaron Smith 10. Beauden Barrett11. Rieko Ioane 12. Sonny Bill Williams 13. Jack Goodhue 14. Ben Smith 15. Damian McKenzie
16. Dane Coles 17. Ofa Tuungafasi 18. Nepo Laulala 19. Scott Barrett 20. Matt Todd 21. TJ Perenara 22. Richie Mo'unga 23. Ryan Crotty
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That team will get destroyed
If Wales are smart, they'll provoke Latu into getting himself sin binned for a 3rd consecutive test. Talk about an unwanted hat trick. The back row is better, but not ideal and not going to change for the better while Cheika is infatuated with Michael Hooper.
Wales last win against Australia was in 2008. Australia have won 13 straight vs Wales since then. Hopefully 13 straight wins becomes 14 straight. Wales will never get a better chance to break their drought against the Wallabies.
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I'll take a loss here if it meant we could finally beat them in the World Cup! Only thing I disagree with Schmidt on is Marmion and McGrath over Cooney. To me it seems like Cooney might be the only one of the three that could provide adequate cover for Murray if he's out (praying he'll be fit again soon). McGrath particularly hasn't shown anywhere near as much for Ireland as he has in a Leinster shirt but even on club form I'd have Cooney as the best after Murray at the moment.
McGrath is really not grabbing his opportunity I think. Marmion is trusted now because he's done a great job for the squad when called on, even out of position. We know how much Schmidt values that. Cooney is an interesting one - I like him because he used to be at Connacht and he's a kicker too which is a bonus. I'd have given him the bench slot.
Kiwi media talking about a ref before a test. I sense some paranoia: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...pline-vital-for-abs-with-jerome-garces-as-ref
A bit of getting excuses in early there! What's that about? Surely they can be very confident going into this match.
It seems like a number of Kiwis have not forgiven Jerome Garces for the role he played in the controversial finish to last year's Lions series. Monsieur Garces is pinpointed as the man who talked Romain Poite into changing his mind over the decision Poite made to give NZ a penalty for offside late in the 3rd test.
It's not uncommon to hear folks from NZ say ''take the ref out of the equation'' or words along those lines. England were spirited and determined last week especially in 2nd half but they showed nothing that'll leave the All Blacks quaking in their boots. If the All Blacks do get rolled, their coaching staff and their players will probably look at themselves and not the ref. They'll leave the whinging to some in their media.
That drought will go to 20 years at least.
Ooooh some sour tasting grapes here. The Referee who remember is the soul arbiter of the Laws and after referring it to the TMO said it was a legal tackle. End of story. If he had not he would have been scrutinised by the media for some of the shocking stuff the Boks were dealing out.
In the meantime, Danny Cipriani gets a ban because an Irishman ran into him and fell as he was hitting Cipriani on the arm. A shocking decision that wouldn’t have happened if it was the other way around for sure.
Who's got the sour grapes then?
I've no problem with World Rugby making an issue of contact with the head because there are just too many stories of ex-players now having very serious health issues related to concussions. I do think it is a problem that Farrell got away with this tackle in the face of that push to crack down on head contact. Up to now, officials have been erring very much on the side of the law this year and this instance doesn't match up with the precedent that's been set lately. I think it's right to err on that side to instigate a cultural change in relation to tackling, and that this incident is a setback.
Brian O'Driscoll has changed his mind... he says he didn't actually understand the law.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2018/1109/1009855-owen-farrell-tackle-odriscoll-ireland-sexton-jones/
https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2018/1109/1009855-owen-farrell-tackle-odriscoll-ireland-sexton-jones/
How do you know it wouldn't have happened the other way around? Have you any basis to think that England receive bad calls from a ref more than other nations do?
Yeah i'd definitely have Cooney ahead of McGrath and ditto for Marmion at the moment too. Maybe Schmidt is thinking that McGrath is more beneficial simply because he plays with Sexton and a lot of the other Irish backline. Still I'd prefer Cooney get a chance on current form.
I hope that Cooney does get his chance in a meaningful match. It'd be a pity if he misses out on his shot because he's earned it.
Where's the sour grapes on my part?
England at +14 ...... Surely that's incredibly kind, even when truly out of form they've been upping it for the GOAT contending NZ 4-6 years ago. But then again, it's NZ.
Underdog double? United + England +10 alternative. Over before the Derby comes round!
Underdog double? United + England +10 alternative. Over before the Derby comes round!
Great start by England.
Come on All Blacks.
Come on All Blacks.
England have started very well.
For one time and one time only, come on England!
For one time and one time only, come on England!
That 15m drive try was beautiful.
This why NZ are so good. They played well for about 7 minutes and it's a 5 point gap going into half time and they have all the momentum.
Maybe, but thats all on Farrell.
Poor finish to the half, Try and a pen, 15/10