Rugby Union Thread

[paul_e]

I'm a saints fan mainly but i have a soft spot for gloucs as well.  I really like them both at the minute because they both try to keep a high tempo with the ball in hand.  Very different styles but both very good to watch, and both have some very good youngsters coming through.

I find rugby is a game where it's much more acceptable to be a fan of the sport rather than a fan of a team so I'll happily watch a game without really caring who wins.  The exceptions are: I default to wanting the welsh and irish sides to lose and I really don't like Leicester, as well as always backing saints and gloucs (saints always take priority when they meet though).

I'd have thought my calls for Dickson and Wood on the 6N thread would've given my allegiances away.

[Dave Summers]

I find rugby is a game where it's much more acceptable to be a fan of the sport rather than a fan of a team so I'll happily watch a game without really caring who wins.  The exceptions are: I default to wanting the welsh and irish sides to lose and I really don't like Leicester, as well as always backing saints and gloucs (saints always take priority when they meet though).

That's pretty much how I feel as well.  I, like you, love watching Gloucester and Saints play because they are entertaining.   Come Heineken Cup time I will be supporting all English teams against anyone, in direct contrast to Football's Champions League and also anyone who plays against Munster.   They have got a little better in recent years, but has there ever been a more mind numbingly boring, turgid team to win trophies?.   And as for the love in that inevitably occurs on Sky when they are playing, led by Paul Wallace, it's nauseating in the extreme.

I guess my Rugby team is England really and I watch all Premiership Rugby with an eye to players who are coming through and who are internationals.  I'm a member of the England Rugby Supporters Club, so that I guess is my team !!

[UK Redsox]

I've put notice of this in the Deathwatch Thread, but I need to comment here in order to give full respect to the late, great Mervyn "Merv the Swerve" Davies who died yesterday at age 65.

One of my Rugby heroes as a kid

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/16439582

[Dave Summers]

I've put notice of this in the Deathwatch Thread, but I need to comment here in order to give full respect to the late, great Mervyn "Merv the Swerve" Davies who died yesterday at age 65.

One of my Rugby heroes as a kid

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/16439582

Very sad news, read it earlier.  A true Rugby giant, a great player and a fine ambassador for his game and country.

I guess it would be fitting for Wales to lift the Grand Slam with a wonderful display of Rugby, as a tribute to him.

RIP "Merve the Swerve"

[Dave Summers]

I see Danny Cipriani is returning to English Rugby with Sale oop North.

I'm glad he is back as I think he is a massive talent who was grossly mismanaged by Martin Johnson at International level.  It seemed to me that he paid for having the temerity to have Kelly Brook as his partner, which obviously led to numerous photos from the Papparazi.   He didn't help himself, that is true, but I also think Johnson owed him a little bit longer than the three starts he gave him, especially when they occured just after he came back from that horrendous injury he suffered in April 08.

Anyway, can only be good news that he is back and we will have a shoot out between Farrell, Ford, Flood, Cipriani and Burns for the England number 10 shirt.   Talk about strength in depth.   I will look forward to maybe watching him next year at Kingsholm, presuming that Cheltenham Lion pulls his finger out and organises this day out at Kingsholm he has been on about :-)

[PaulWinch again]

There is very good depth at fly-half. Cipriani is a hell of a talent, we'll see if his attitude has changed. I actually see him as a potential centre in the future.

[paul_e]

Indeed, if Cipriani can get to a point where it's all about the rugby he's young enough to still have a very very good career.

We do appear to be blessed with a whole host of great 10s at the minute, which makes the decision to keep Hodgson in the squad all the more perplexing.  Personally I'd go with Farrell starting and Burns on the bench at the minute.  Farrell is solid defensively and is a reliable boot but he hasn't got the confidence with ball in hand to get the backs flowing.  Burns is the opposite, he's got great confidence with ball in hand but his nerves get to him when he's kicking.  The advantage would be that you have Farrell against the fresh legs kicking anything that's on offer and playing territory and then if you need tries later on you bring on Burns (and probably replace Barritt as well) and start picking holes and throwing the ball out wide.

[Dave Summers]

This is the next point of order for the new coach.

We have got ourselves a decent pack, which will only get better with more experience.  We have a lot of back up in the forwards, Marler, Webber, Doran-Jones, Lawes, Attwood, Wood, Waldrom, Saull is not bad as a second pack is it and that's just off the top of my head.  We have proven we can grind out wins and we have proven that we have a good defence.    Now, can we develop our attacking game and get the best out of the numerous options we have in the back three?

I may be in a minority here, I normally am, but I don't get Owen Farrell at the moment.   Yes, he tackles like Jonny and kicks well, but where is the pace and invention?.   It may come, but at the moment he stands too deep and his distribution and speed of thought, are not up to an international fly half in my view.

As things stand, for the South Africa tests, I would be picking Youngs and Flood and maybe moving Tuilagi to number 12 and bringing in Joseph from Irish at outside centre.   Back three would be Ashton, Foden and Sharples to start.

As back up on this trip, I would like to see Farrell, Burns, May, Barritt, Care, Wade (if fit), Brown all go.

It's exciting times if we can harness it all together.

[paul_e]

This is the next point of order for the new coach.

We have got ourselves a decent pack, which will only get better with more experience.  We have a lot of back up in the forwards, Marler, Webber, Doran-Jones, Lawes, Attwood, Wood, Waldrom, Saull is not bad as a second pack is it and that's just off the top of my head.  We have proven we can grind out wins and we have proven that we have a good defence.    Now, can we develop our attacking game and get the best out of the numerous options we have in the back three?

I may be in a minority here, I normally am, but I don't get Owen Farrell at the moment.   Yes, he tackles like Jonny and kicks well, but where is the pace and invention?.   It may come, but at the moment he stands too deep and his distribution and speed of thought, are not up to an international fly half in my view.

As things stand, for the South Africa tests, I would be picking Youngs and Flood and maybe moving Tuilagi to number 12 and bringing in Joseph from Irish at outside centre.   Back three would be Ashton, Foden and Sharples to start.

As back up on this trip, I would like to see Farrell, Burns, May, Barritt, Care, Wade (if fit), Brown all go.

It's exciting times if we can harness it all together.

I completely agree with you on Farrell.  He's a very good kicker and tackles well but he's not a game breaker.  As said, I'd use him in tandem with Burns in the big games, with Farrell starting and playing the territory and building a platform, then bringing in Burns later in the game to be the creative influence against tiring backs.

[PaulWinch again]

It occurs to me that the longer that the appointment of the England manager drags the worse it is for Lancaster, it's like the RFU trying to distance the Six Nations from people's memories so they don't get a backlash if they don't hire him. I think he deserves a chance.

[paul_e]

In all honesty I'm firmly on the fence between Mallett and Lancaster.  I have small reservations about both but nothing that would make me upset if the get the job.  I'd love to work something out where they can both be involved if I'm honest.

[paul_e]

To follow up the cipriani talk on here, he scored a great break away try this weekend.

It's his second of the season down in oz, the first shows why he gets talked about as highly as he does...

The way he gets by the winger and fullback without them ever getting a chance to make a tackle is pure class, you can't teach that.

[PaulWinch again]

He's a massive talent, if he can have the right frame of mind he cannot be ignored in the England reckoning.

[cheltenhamlion]

We lost at home again to fucking Exeter. Dean Ryan got the push for being twice as good as we have this season.

[Dave Summers]

To follow up the cipriani talk on here, he scored a great break away try this weekend.

It's his second of the season down in oz, the first shows why he gets talked about as highly as he does...

The way he gets by the winger and fullback without them ever getting a chance to make a tackle is pure class, you can't teach that.

A great try agreed and one that no other English 10 could dream of scoring.   Slight problem in the fact that it was scored last season and not the weekend just gone.   He completely messed up behind his try line in the same game and gifted the Sharks a score, so a bit of the curates egg type of performance.

Cheltenham Lion :  Can't believe Glaws lost at home to Exeter, which has all but wiped out the chance of top 4.  They need to concentrate on finishing in the top 6 for Heineken Cup now I think.