As they should do.
Rugby Union 21/22/23 Discussion | RWC time!
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
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Oh absolutely. I do wonder whether they’ll be a bit of a mental hurdle, because it’s LAR with ROG, and they’ve been done twice….but on paper they should win. Which province are you btw? I don’t actually know
Leinster.
Was thinking earlier how different rugby is to football. I live in Leinster but would always support an Irish club against a team from any other country. Without hesitation. It’s weird the way we’re almost the exact opposite in football. Will always support the Spanish/Italian/French team when they’re playing a PL team that isn’t United. I know it wasn’t always that way. I wonder if some football fans still feel that way?
Anyhoo. Definite mental hurdle with LAR but I think Leinster are a different beast now. Just like Ireland they seem to have stepped up a gear over the last 12 months.
I personally find rugby less tribal than football, there’s a few teams I favour but nothing like the support I have for United. Consequently, I don’t hate teams with the same passion. I much prefer it that way
Yeah, it’s a lot less stressful anyway.
Leinster were impressive against Toulouse and will surely have too much for La Rochelle or Exeter in a final at the AVIVA.
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La Rochelle score a ridiculous try to put them 26-7 up at half time. Even without Danty and Botia they are still classy as feck
Leinster are favourites in Dublin, no doubt, but if LAR have Danty and Botia back matchfit….Leinster are gonna have to win it, they won’t waltz their way over the line
That big fecking no.8 at Connacht is a very handy player
Awful match, but do I care? No 
Hon Connacht!
Hon Connacht!
Connacht have a few serious looking young players coming up. With very limited resources we still manage to have our own tiny version of Leinster's conveyor belt
I love it. Played the better rugby, scoreline massively flattered Ulster. Backrow was amazing.Connacht have a few serious looking young players coming up. With very limited resources we still manage to have our own tiny version of Leinster's conveyor belt
Connacht are always a decent watch…..which is the inverse of Billy Burns for me, I have never ever seen him have a decent game
From looking awful and seeming like Friend's last season would be a washout, we're somehow in a semi final. We're going to miss him a lot.
What was the Glasgow player thinking, Murray was never going past him even with his hamstring going,
The 25 men and 1 lady who will all be hoping to stay out of the headlines at the World Cup have been announced. There are 12 referees, 7 touch judges and 7 TMO's. Hopefully all of the 4 Aussies in this group of 26 are ineligible to officiate in the Final.
Rugby World Cup 2023 Match Officials
Referees (12): Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Wayne Barnes (England), Nic Berry (Australia), Andrew Brace (Ireland), Matthew Carley (England), Karl Dickson (England), Angus Gardner (Australia), Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Luke Pearce (England), Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Mathieu Raynal (France), Paul Williams (New Zealand).
Assistant Referees (7): Chris Busby (Ireland), Pierre Brousset (France), James Doleman (New Zealand), Craig Evans (Wales), Andrea Piardi (Italy), Christophe Ridley (England), Jordan Way (Australia).
Television Match Officials (7): Brett Cronan (Australia), Tom Foley (England), Marius Jonker (South Africa), Brian MacNeice (Ireland), Joy Neville (Ireland), Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand), Ben Whitehouse (Wales).
Rugby World Cup 2023 Match Officials
Referees (12): Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Wayne Barnes (England), Nic Berry (Australia), Andrew Brace (Ireland), Matthew Carley (England), Karl Dickson (England), Angus Gardner (Australia), Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Luke Pearce (England), Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Mathieu Raynal (France), Paul Williams (New Zealand).
Assistant Referees (7): Chris Busby (Ireland), Pierre Brousset (France), James Doleman (New Zealand), Craig Evans (Wales), Andrea Piardi (Italy), Christophe Ridley (England), Jordan Way (Australia).
Television Match Officials (7): Brett Cronan (Australia), Tom Foley (England), Marius Jonker (South Africa), Brian MacNeice (Ireland), Joy Neville (Ireland), Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand), Ben Whitehouse (Wales).
Interesting. Brace totally lost control of the Ulster Connacht match last weekend, but I feel that list has more good refs than bad.
Will Joy Neville be the first ever female ref/official at the tournament?
Edit: Yes.
Who’s the Scottish female ref? Seen her in charge of a few men’s matches this season and thought she was very good. Thought she might have made the cut.
EDIT: Hollie Davidson
EDIT: Hollie Davidson
Before tonight (Aussie time), you'd have to go back to March 2013 when Sir Alex Ferguson was still managing Manchester United and before Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp became despised & disliked figures on this forum for the last time the Queensland Reds won in New Zealand. Well, the Reds beat the table topping, unbeaten Chiefs 25-22 in New Plymouth. Commiserations @JPRouve
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I haven't seen her referee many games but I thought she did a good job with the whistle in last year's Women's World Cup Final. The guy on the ''Two Cents Rugby'' YouTube channel said that there might be a Women's tournament Hollie Davidson will feature at hence why she's not at the men's World Cup. He also mentioned that 12 of the 15 refs who did a 6 Nations match are refereeing at this World Cup - James Doleman (New Zealand) Damon Murphy (Australia) and Mike Adamson (Scotland) are the 3 who missed out despite taking charge of a 6 Nations match.
Mike Adamson is terrible. Glad he's not at the world cup.
Fecking hell, of course he's reffing Connacht today after me slagging him
This pitch is incredibly bad. It's in bits already after 20mins.
Adamson living up to expectations. He's been appalling.
If we can’t win with a cork boy as ref we’ll never beat this lot.
What a fecking game. Fair fecks to Munster…..dogs every one of them
Munster win. No way
Finally Munster beat Leinster 
Amazing performance by Munster. They’ve improved so much. Deserved winners.
Fair play to Munster, absolutely brilliant performance. Hopefully they go in to win it now.
What a fecking game, we actually won a game at the aviva
Was that the strongest team available out there today? Because that was one hell of a war before La Rochelle come to town
Not at all. Kept most of their best players on ice. But that shouldn’t take away from Munster’s performance.
I knew the names missing….just didn’t know who was injured or whether they were rested. Was very close to being a good gamble
As far as I know James Lowe is the only doubt, but he just became a father so he could be just out because of that. I think most of the first 15 should be fit except for sexton.
Yeah the lads done well to have it be so close today but Munster's intensity and execution was incredible today.
He’s been rolling the dice with team selection all season. Usually the gamble pays off. Not today. And even a stronger line up would have struggled against that sort of intensity. Although, as you say, that could have been a disaster ahead of next weekend.
thanks, it might prove to hinge more on LAR’s injuries, still don’t know if Botia and Danty will play and they need them both
I think it was the right move, not sure how much Leinster care about the URC when that 5th star is on the horizon. The South African fans are going to be unbearable if they win it in their first 2 seasons though
I’ll be cheering on Munster just for thatGood. You and me both!thanks, it might prove to hinge more on LAR’s injuries, still don’t know if Botia and Danty will play and they need them both
I think it was the right move, not sure how much Leinster care about the URC when that 5th star is on the horizon. The South African fans are going to be unbearable if they win it in their first 2 seasons though
The URC final at the Cape Town cow paddock known as Cape Town stadium was sold out in the space of just 3 hours. How do we see the Champions and Challenge Cup finals playing out?
Both Tipuric and Alun wyn Jones have retired from international rugby with immediate effect
Didn't see either coming, can only assume both got told by Gatland that they were not going to the World Cup so have chosen to call time on their own terms but the timing is very weird.
Didn't see either coming, can only assume both got told by Gatland that they were not going to the World Cup so have chosen to call time on their own terms but the timing is very weird.
I'd imagine both wanted one more swing at it. I guess we'll probably hear the full story over the next few weeks.Both Tipuric and Alun wyn Jones have retired from international rugby with immediate effect
Didn't see either coming, can only assume both got told by Gatland that they were not going to the World Cup so have chosen to call time on their own terms but the timing is very weird.
In other news, JJ Hanrahan is back in Ireland after signing for Connacht.
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