Domestic & European Rugby 2015-16

[paul_e]

I feel for Bath and Burgess over this to be honest, whatever he says he's gone because he was made a bit of a scapegoat for the world cup performance.  I hold the England management team fully responsible and unless they're all replaced I think they might have burned some bridges with Bath over this.

[lovejoy]

But Burgess has legged it at the first bump in the road, 1 year in to a 3 year deal. Quitter.
I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled the "family reasons" and personal problems excuse out like the MPs do for resigning.

[UK Redsox]

With Villa not playing until Sunday, this weekend will give me a chance to see The Mighty Lyd in action.

Four wins in a row and now flying up National 3 South West

http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/south-west-division/

[paul_e]

But Burgess has legged it at the first bump in the road, 1 year in to a 3 year deal. Quitter.
I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled the "family reasons" and personal problems excuse out like the MPs do for resigning.

Oh I agree on that but I can understand why when he's been largely singled out as the main reason for England's worst ever world cup showing.  For me England have let him down badly and in turn he's let Bath down badly, I just hope that Lancaster and his coaches are really pressed over the fact that they created this situation when in truth no one would've batted an eyelid if they'd left him out and said he just wasn't ready.

[PaulWinch again]

Oh there's no doubt he's a bit of sideshow to our World Cup failure. The reality is that the coaching staff completely abandonned the consistency of selection they'd lauded over the last few years and unsurprisingly we fell apart. Burgess is a bit of a symptom, but he's not the cause. He should have stuck it out though.

[DaveD]

Oh I agree on that but I can understand why when he's been largely singled out as the main reason for England's worst ever world cup showing. 

Has he ? Really ? I don't see that. Most people see Lancaster "building" a side for four years and then tossing it all away in week 2 of the tournament as the problem. And playing with no true 7 at a time when the top sides in the world have 2 or 3.

[paul_e]

Oh I agree on that but I can understand why when he's been largely singled out as the main reason for England's worst ever world cup showing. 

Has he ? Really ? I don't see that. Most people see Lancaster "building" a side for four years and then tossing it all away in week 2 of the tournament as the problem. And playing with no true 7 at a time when the top sides in the world have 2 or 3.

Sorry I mean his inclusion in the squad/team rather than him personally, the whole 'building a side and then tossing it away' has largely revolved around his place.

[UK Redsox]

The Mighty Lyd won their fifth straight game today

[aev]

Oh I agree on that but I can understand why when he's been largely singled out as the main reason for England's worst ever world cup showing. 

Has he ? Really ? I don't see that. Most people see Lancaster "building" a side for four years and then tossing it all away in week 2 of the tournament as the problem. And playing with no true 7 at a time when the top sides in the world have 2 or 3.

Sorry I mean his inclusion in the squad/team rather than him personally, the whole 'building a side and then tossing it away' has largely revolved around his place.

Between club and country they couldn't even decide upon a position for him to try and get to grips with. Him leaving is a shame - I guess in his heart of hearts he realised he wouldn't make it as an international back row forward in the next 18 months.

Talking about his departure from Bath, Sam Burgess says: "I wanted to go in and see the team, to get my point across, but Stuart Hooper, our captain, said he didn’t think I’d be well received there, which was fair enough — if that’s how he felt.

"I wanted to go and say goodbye, not just as a team-mate but as a friend, but that didn’t happen. I’ve not been back in there, but I’ve spoken to guys away from the club."

[PaulWinch again]

Burgess's comments about his 'heart not being in Union' must be even more sickening for the likes of Burrell.

[paul_e]

Genuinely pathetic decision to disallow Burrell's try, Clancy should be ashamed when he watches that back later

[paul_e]

What an end to Wasps vs Bath, brilliant game that went each way and then a fantastic finish from Watson and a superb conversion by Ford, brilliant game.

[cheltenhamlion]

Harlequins and Gloucester was a great game.

[paul_e]

Harlequins and Gloucester was a great game.

Fantastic game, absolutely gutted for Trinder, I think he's going to be another Glaws player who has England regular written all over him but who never plays because of injury.

[Dante Lavelli]

Saints v exeter on the other had was an awful game, admittedly in terrible conditions.

From what I've seen of the Saints over the past 12-months, I cannot see what Jones sees in Alex King.  Saints look too formulaic and don't seem to trust the flair of Foden and their other 'maverick' players.