Rugby Union 2012/13

[UK Redsox]

Former Gloucester captain, Mike Nicholls has died

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Gloucester-legend-Mike-Nicholls-hailed-Kingsholm/story-17671163-detail/story.html

[cheltenhamlion]

Redpath was no bloody good at Gloucester.

[paul_e]

Redpath was no bloody good at Gloucester.

Whilst i agree in part he did set up the foundation for what is probably the most devestating backline in english rugby at the moment, he just didn't have the tactical ability to get the most out of the players that he was bringing through.

He's done similar with Sale, there's no way that squad should be where they are in the league (for what it's worth I think the gap between the top and bottom is much bigger than the respective squads suggest it should be, I genuinely think the only side who wouldn't have been after a Heineken Cup spot before the season are London Welsh who will have been solely focused on staying up.

[AV82EC]

Redpath was no bloody good at Gloucester.

Whilst i agree in part he did set up the foundation for what is probably the most devestating backline in english rugby at the moment, he just didn't have the tactical ability to get the most out of the players that he was bringing through.

He's done similar with Sale, there's no way that squad should be where they are in the league (for what it's worth I think the gap between the top and bottom is much bigger than the respective squads suggest it should be, I genuinely think the only side who wouldn't have been after a Heineken Cup spot before the season are London Welsh who will have been solely focused on staying up.

I know a couple of Sharks season ticket holders up here, to say they aren't impressed at the moment would be an understatement.  They feel Diamond was good for the club for a period but he's now shot his bolt, Redpath doesn't look as if he knows as if he's coming or going as he's been promoted/demoted twice already this season and then to top it off you've got the Mitchell saga of the last month! Apparently the owner has been getting some severe grief at home games for the last few matches.

[paul_e]

Redpath was no bloody good at Gloucester.

Whilst i agree in part he did set up the foundation for what is probably the most devestating backline in english rugby at the moment, he just didn't have the tactical ability to get the most out of the players that he was bringing through.

He's done similar with Sale, there's no way that squad should be where they are in the league (for what it's worth I think the gap between the top and bottom is much bigger than the respective squads suggest it should be, I genuinely think the only side who wouldn't have been after a Heineken Cup spot before the season are London Welsh who will have been solely focused on staying up.

I know a couple of Sharks season ticket holders up here, to say they aren't impressed at the moment would be an understatement.  They feel Diamond was good for the club for a period but he's now shot his bolt, Redpath doesn't look as if he knows as if he's coming or going as he's been promoted/demoted twice already this season and then to top it off you've got the Mitchell saga of the last month! Apparently the owner has been getting some severe grief at home games for the last few matches.

Doesn't surprise me, there's clearly something very wrong in the background there.

[cheltenhamlion]

Dean Ryan is responsible for the quality of our kids. Redpathetic may have coached some but its Deano's work, not his, I assure you.

[paul_e]

Dean Ryan is responsible for the quality of our kids. Redpathetic may have coached some but its Deano's work, not his, I assure you.

I know Ryan was a big part but Redpath was a coach at the time and at Dan Robson has said a lot of good things about him on the England U20 video diary things the RFU were doing, all about how great it was to be mentored by someone who had been such a good player and that he brought it into coaching with him.  Tried to find a link to the main video but the rfu website is shit if you're looking for anything more than a few months old.

Henry Paul gets credited with a lot as well, apparently he was very much one for working with the younger kids when he was there, getting them to concentrate on the skills side of the game which is an aspect that doesn't happen as much as it should at the top clubs (hence why so many english players make handling errors under pressure and why our off loading game is so far behind the southern hemisphere nations).

[nordenvillain]

Redpath was no bloody good at Gloucester.

Redpath was no bloody good at Gloucester.

Whilst i agree in part he did set up the foundation for what is probably the most devestating backline in english rugby at the moment, he just didn't have the tactical ability to get the most out of the players that he was bringing through.

He's done similar with Sale, there's no way that squad should be where they are in the league (for what it's worth I think the gap between the top and bottom is much bigger than the respective squads suggest it should be, I genuinely think the only side who wouldn't have been after a Heineken Cup spot before the season are London Welsh who will have been solely focused on staying up.

I know a couple of Sharks season ticket holders up here, to say they aren't impressed at the moment would be an understatement.  They feel Diamond was good for the club for a period but he's now shot his bolt, Redpath doesn't look as if he knows as if he's coming or going as he's been promoted/demoted twice already this season and then to top it off you've got the Mitchell saga of the last month! Apparently the owner has been getting some severe grief at home games for the last few matches.

Doesn't surprise me, there's clearly something very wrong in the background there.

Whilst i agree in part he did set up the foundation for what is probably the most devestating backline in english rugby at the moment, he just didn't have the tactical ability to get the most out of the players that he was bringing through.

He's done similar with Sale, there's no way that squad should be where they are in the league (for what it's worth I think the gap between the top and bottom is much bigger than the respective squads suggest it should be, I genuinely think the only side who wouldn't have been after a Heineken Cup spot before the season are London Welsh who will have been solely focused on staying up.

I know a couple of Sharks season ticket holders up here, to say they aren't impressed at the moment would be an understatement.  They feel Diamond was good for the club for a period but he's now shot his bolt, Redpath doesn't look as if he knows as if he's coming or going as he's been promoted/demoted twice already this season and then to top it off you've got the Mitchell saga of the last month! Apparently the owner has been getting some severe grief at home games for the last few matches.

Doesn't surprise me, there's clearly something very wrong in the background there.

Steve Scott, who was sacked as Sale's Forwards Coach in September '12 has been appointed Skills Coach by the Scottish RU along with Dean Ryan who has a 12-week consultant's contract as the SRU Forwards Coach. I hardly think that Scott's new job is a step down from his position at Sale. The word on the street is that John Mitchell resigned as he is "a man of principle" - Read into that what you will and Steve Diamond apparently had a blazing row with Brian Kennedy (Sale's owner) last week. Watch this space. The Sale squad is potentially one that should be challenging for a Top 4 finish like last season. There is more than something wrong at Sale at present. If they get relegated, I cannot see them bouncing straight back.

[cheltenhamlion]

We didn't help them with a dogs dinner of a display against Irish.

[paul_e]

I see Flood has been cited for a spear tackle.  Having watched it a few times it was more stupid than anything else, why lift someone's legs like that when you know how much it's watched for.

Given Goode landed head first I'll be very suprised if there isn't a 2-4 match ban, cue all the tigers fans moaning about the RFU being out to get them.

In other matches, I'm fairly sure that's tthe worst performance Glaws will put in all season, it really was a horror show.  Saints were fantastic with a big win away at Exeter - Lawes in particular was awesome, back to his best, has got to be a key part of the 6N squad, Wood only had 20minutes but he's a class above any other backrow in the league the commentary got it spot in for the 2nd try, his position in starting the maul is perfect, on his own he completely off-balanced the Exeter pack and from there they just drove through him for the simplest push over.  My other name from that match was Dom Waldouck, he really does look like an international centre now, was trock solid in defense and is good going forward, runs good support lines, carries well, passes well and is happy to get in and do the dirty work if he's the first to the breakdown.  I firmly believe he'll be a big part of the squad by the world cup.

[paul_e]

Squads for the 6N announced:

England Senior Elite Player Squad (33)
Forwards (18)
Calum Clark (Northampton Saints)
Alex Corbisiero (London Irish)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers)
Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
James Haskell (London Wasps)
Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs)
Joe Launchbury (London Wasps)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby)
Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
Thomas Waldrom (Leicester Tigers)
David Wilson (Bath Rugby)
Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)
Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Backs (15)
Chris Ashton (Saracens)
Brad Barritt (Saracens)
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)
Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Jonathan Joseph (London Irish)
David Strettle (Saracens)
Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)


England Saxons Elite Player Squad (32)
Forwards (17)
Mouritz Botha (Saracens)
Nathan Catt (Bath Rugby)
Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers)
Paul Doran Jones (Northampton Saints)
Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints)
Will Fraser (Saracens)
Joe Gray (Harlequins)
Graham Kitchener (Leicester Tigers)
Shaun Knight (Gloucester Rugby)
Matt Kvesic (Worcester Warriors)
Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors)
David Paice (London Irish)
Tom Palmer (London Wasps)
George Robson (Harlequins)
Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers)
Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks)
Billy Vunipola (London Wasps)

Backs (15)
Nick Abendanon (Bath Rugby)
Anthony Allen (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Biggs (Bath Rugby)
Elliot Daly (London Wasps)
Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby)
George Ford (Leicester Tigers)
George Lowe (Harlequins)
Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)
Ugo Monye (Harlequins)
Joe Simpson (London Wasps)
Charlie Sharples (Gloucester Rugby)
Joel Tomkins (Saracens)
Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins)
Christian Wade (London Wasps)
Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens)

Pretty happy with both squads.  I think i'd have gone with Wade ahead of Strettle in the full squad and I'd have liked to see Dom Waldouck in the saxons but otherwise I think they've been picked on form (barring the exclusion of Stefon Armitage but at least the RFU are being consistent about that rule).

In the Senior forwards I think we're seeing pretty much the squad for the world cup now, probably Billy Vunipola to replace Waldrom and I think Kvesic will force his way in ahead of Johnson or Haskell but otherwise it's pretty set.  We desperately need a replacement for Wilson though.

In think the backs is much more open as I'd say there are only 3-4 in there that are definitely in, mainly on the basis of the sheer quantity of quality we've got coming up behind them.

All in I'm happy with that idea as well, I'd rather a consistent pack who know each other and then pick the backs on form closer to the time.

[lovejoy]

Ashton and Strettle the only wingers in the main squad.
How Toby Flood avoided a ban for his tip tackle on Goode in beyond me, its almost as if the rules arent applied to Leicester players.

[paul_e]

Ashton and Strettle the only wingers in the main squad.
How Toby Flood avoided a ban for his tip tackle on Goode in beyond me, its almost as if the rules arent applied to Leicester players.

Agreed, it's an odd one, other players have been banned for very similar and the rule is pretty clear cut.

Back to the squad, he is clearly treating Foden and Brown as wing options, which I'm really not sure about, as I said, I think the backs is nothing like the squad we'll see in a few years, In the mid term I think we'll see the NZ result as an anomaly rather than a new beginning, we still need to get the centre balance right and Farrell is still not versatile enough to be an international 10.

Given the squad I'd love to see burns and twelvetrees replace farrell and barritt over the course of the 6N, those 2, along with George Ford and Elliott Daly, are the players I'd expect to see cement places in the squad alongside the established guys (youngs, manu, foden and ashton)

[PaulWinch again]

If Farrell plays like he did against NZ he can be an international 10.

[andyaston]

Ian Ritchie's response made me laugh. 'We have a nice stadium of our own.'

Quite right as well.  I don't get this "The finest Rugby Stadium in the World" bollox from the Welsh anyway.  Rugby is an outside game, so it's a moot point as to whether you should play under a roof?.  The pitch there is also an absolute disgrace, as it starts cutting up after the warm up and the one end of the ground is in fact the old North Stand, or part of it, from the 1970's.   

The only thing that the Millennium has going for it is the fact that it is in the City Centre?.  The ground is about 8k less in capacity than Twickenham and despite all of the hype about the passion of the Welsh fans, has only been filled once this Autumn compared to the 4 times that Twickenham has!!!!

Having said all of that, the outside of the Stadium at Twickenham, especially at the oldest part of it, the North Stand, is looking a little tired these days.  However inside and in the concourses, absolutely top notch.

Rant over !!!

Any luck on the ballot for 6 nations tickets Dave?

No, not any luck at all for me.  Been in the England Supporters Club for 10 years now and never got tickets first up through the ballot.  Hopefully there will be some returns or single tickets available for the Scotland and or France game and I will be okay.  Having been for three expensive days out last month though and having also got tickets for Italy, I won't be too upset if I don't secure any.

Sorry for late reply Dave. Same here but im not going to the Italy game. I was wondering about going to Twickers on the day and looking for touts but that may be expensive.