Rugby Union (was 2014-15, now an ongoing thread)

[paul_e]

Massive win for Saints tonight, only saw part of the game but it was another great performance in attack, with only the brilliance of Wade making it a close game.  With the lead they have now it's getting close to the point where the playoffs are inappropriate, 14 points, even if they have played a game more, is massive.

[Dante Lavelli]

That gap should allow them to rest players and ensure that they're at their optimum for the finals, whereas the other 5 teams in contention will not be afforded that luxury.  So they benefit, however wether the 'finals' is a good thing is another debate. 

I must admit I'm starting to like it.  This competition would be over now (from an interest point of view) without the finals.  Plus, if it was a straight league I suspect that teams would sign more foreign players to ensure that they're less affected during the Autumn Internationals and 6N, whereas currently most clubs use these periods to introduce young english players.

[PaulWinch again]

It's getting quite worrying that North keeps getting these head injuries.

[paul_e]

It's getting quite worrying that North keeps getting these head injuries.

I'd been holding off a response to this until I got the video: https://vimeo.com/123623981

I don't think you can say much about that one, I have no idea if he leaves his knee in or not, but regardless ofany other concussions if you take a hit like that you're out, it's happened to me a couple of times and I've never had any worries beyond coming off and missing a week.

[paul_e]

Good first half from Glaws, showing how to play against Irish sides, aggressive in the tight and running kicks back.  Connacht aren't a great Irish side but you can see that by nullifying the up and under they can't work out how to get into the glaws 22 because they don't have the quality at 10, 12 and 13 to create gaps.  If England had approached the game like that I think the result in Ireland could've been very different.

[paul_e]

and no they're making the same mistakes that England made, kicking the ball away too much and letting Connacht slow things down in the tight.

[lovejoy]

Phew, made hard work of that. Semi against Ex probably.

[paul_e]

Phew, made hard work of that. Semi against Ex probably.

Yeah good result, not sure who the TV gave as man of the match but for me Kvesic was absolutely immense in the first half and the last 15, the little spell where he didn't dominate on the floor was where Connacht got themselves back into it.

[paul_e]

Saints choked... gutted.

[lovejoy]

It was Kvesic and it is Ex.
I am no Bath fan but would be mad as hell if I was, the ref gave them nothing yesterday. The Irish teams always seem to get the favours.

[paul_e]

It was Kvesic and it is Ex.
I am no Bath fan but would be mad as hell if I was, the ref gave them nothing yesterday. The Irish teams always seem to get the favours.

It always happens, the Irish have built their game around being hugely cynical at the breakdown but pointing the ref at everything the opposition do to counter them.  At some point soon a ref is going to go against them big time and start calling out the regular infringements, I'm hoping it happens in a massive game (England vs Ireland Semi at the world cup or similar).  The blocking off at the breakdown is the one for me, watch how many times an Irish players gets up on the wrong side after making a tackle and takes an extra half a second to realise where they are.  That's not error or coincidence but if the other team does the same the irish support players make a big show of running into the man to show that he obstructed them.

I've said it before, I fucking hate Irish rugby, the sooner they get found out for the cynical 1-trick ponies they are the better.

[paul_e]

This thread has gone very quiet with the season largely dead until the playoffs, so time to give it a bump.  Really good game between saints and sarries, the former will be very relieved to have got back on track after a shitty few weeks, pretty much guaranteed a home semi now, 4th place is looking like it's going to the last weekend, which is great.

[Dante Lavelli]

This thread has gone very quiet with the season largely dead until the playoffs, so time to give it a bump.  Really good game between saints and sarries, the former will be very relieved to have got back on track after a shitty few weeks, pretty much guaranteed a home semi now, 4th place is looking like it's going to the last weekend, which is great.

I watched most of the saints v saracens game.  It was telling that saints came into the match in the final third due to their freshness having had a week off.  It was a good example of how much harder it is for English clubs to compete in the european matches versus fresh Irish/Welsh clubs.  To be honest I would not change the system as it forces english clubs to promote youngsters but it was a pretty stark difference.

Are sarries always that dull to watch?

[paul_e]

Yes, Sarries are always that dull, it's why I find it so annoying that England have, at times, decided to build their team around the sarries backs who basically just play as loose forwards.  It can be effective (it's largely the same game plan the Irish national team uses, with a few less up and unders) but it's like Pulis football, after a while even if you're winning it starts to get annoying watching your team grind things out all the time.

[lovejoy]

Agreed Sarries play bland functional rugby and the worry is England go that way.