A Rugby Thread
 

Don't know how much interest there is, but this could be a place to discuss international, domestic, and even local rugby.

Lots of great games last weekend and even more this coming weekend.

What are your picks and predictions?

Who do you want to see get smashed?

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

this weekend I will take

NZ to dominate England and win by at least 10

Ireland to edge out SA by 3

and AUS to edge Wales by 5

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

2 out of 3 ain't bad...

I think England will be slightly better than expected, but NZ to take the match.

Ireland? Pah. Boks by 5 at least.

Australia should easily beat Wales, although of the GB teams, Wales are my favourite.

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

SA/ Ire match well up front but without any cover in the centers I dont know. Of course I thought that WP would have a clear advantage on the outside last week and that didnt workout at all

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

England should feel the full furry of a pissed off NZ side, on an aside I hope SBW gets a run on off the bench and Moody or Sheridan get a chance to line him up

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

Wales are also the least injured of all the GB teams and have a very solid scrum- where Aussie scrum is crap and I dont know that the criminal island can put two good games together in two weeks

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

don't like Sonny?

I think England will have to be brutal to stand a chance of winning, lets hope they can stand up to the challenge and give a good game.

I think the boks will come out and try to stamp dominance over the Irish from the off, and give the centres such a hard hitting game they'll back off... As for our lack of centres/midfield in general... well, it's gonna be time for some young guns to step up and wear the green and gold as if their life depended on it!

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

I think he is a good runner with ball in hand and solid on defense but I dont like the showmanship and circus sideshow that come with him, and I dont think he has paid his dues the way others have.

Anyway Donald comes in off the bench again?

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

I think the problem for Donald is that it's not his 'natural' or normal position. He plays well, bit there just seems to be that... instinct (?) in SBW.

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

I miss having Setanta and time to watch Rugby. I'm so out of touch. Getting psyched up for the world cup though. Glad someone started this thread.

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

Also... as to Wales being the least injured GB side... yeah, you've got a point, but they are also most likely to injure their own team.

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

if SA dont win on tour will De Villers still get to keep Jake Whites job?

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

I we don't win on tour, people will get shot :r

You know, I'm fairly lenient on coaches for the most part, but our Tri-Nations was pretty appalling, and we should beat any of the teams we're playing this tour on just about any day of the week. Do we need Jake back? Maybe, or maybe we need a whole new start. Or maybe De Villiers is having a lack of form we so often forgive our players for having. Not often though!

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

Half-time and Australia are only just edging out Wales...
NZ seem to have taken the game to England.

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

they showed the tri nations series live here, now for some reason they aren't showing these games even on delay:sad

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

the england nz game will be on here later today and the itm final but am having to look online for the wales as and sa ire games

I really want to watch the sa/ire game

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

There are several expletives I'm not allowed to use here, but this one I shall. Assmunchers.

Did you manage to find a feed? Watching it live now (although may have to pop out on work related business, so it's tivo'ing too)... let's just say the first half of the first half hasn't made me unhappy.

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

Argh!

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

Flippin' heck, that was tense.

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

what a good second half(finally found a working stream)

my thoughts
peter stringer and o gara should both have their starting jobs back

if o gara had made that conversion might be a different ending

aplon was really exposed as the weak link for the back three

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

Agree 100%!

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

If Pienaar keeps playing as well as he did yesterday South Africa/ de villers is going to have a tough choice b/c Fourie Du Preez is going to be healthy for the world cup

and in my opinion their lack of strength in the 9 jersey was the biggest problem in the trinations

so do you go for past form or current form if you had to choose today?

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

If I had to choose today? Current form. If it ain't broke...

While I understand that Fourie is an immense player, Pienaar is on form at the moment, and more than doing a good job at SH. He's maturing into the international role, and while not better, per se, than Fourie, he's certainly beginning to make the role his own.

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

I am glad they finally found a place for him that he is taking to, his runs at fly were not great and made him seem a less quality player than he actually is

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

Alright so who you got for wins this weekend

Aus over England by 5

NZ over Scotland by 15+

SA over Wales by by 7

Ireland over Samoa by 15

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

Our defence might have been ****, but I reckon that North kid is gonna be stellar!

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

A couple of great games this weekend
I will be watching NZ/ Ireland and hope that Ireland can make it a match. The battle for their 10 spot should have Sexton playing better or terribly on Saturday
and
Argentina/ France, which a few months ago I wouldnt have been on my list to watch but having lost France should come out looking for revenge. Argentina are a very scrappy side and I hope for a lot of big hits and there should be a good bit of "the business" in the rucks and off the ball. The player to watch in this match is also not Chabal but the Arg 10 Contepomi he has been ripping through defenses and is a good bit faster than he appears

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

*sigh*

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

wow,
never would have bet on that. Dan Parks singlehandedly won the game

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

I don't know about singlehandedly... I think the South African 'team' helped him!:hn

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

-Dave Attwood-
is he the new face of England scum-baggerery? I am all for forwards using their boots to keep rucks clean, but boots are backs and thighs not the face.

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

I don't like it, but I understand it happens. You'll always get the brutes, and there will always be stamping. Just need to get the refs to clamp down on it. My boys will be screwed though :r

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

I am not advocating liberal use of boots when the situation calls for it. But I would say that the face of the opposition is not the place for those boots to land

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

No, entirely, I agree. My point is that it will, unfortunately, always happen. We need refs to be on the case. We also need linesmen to be more alert. I know it won't always be caught, but it needs to be looked for.

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

I like the Cowboys to beat the Cardinals on Christmas day :D

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

Jake White is applying for the new english performance director position

I cant believe RSA doesnt want to give this man a job, no reason de villers should still have his job

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

I love rugby. Played it for 4 years and would like to get back into it if I had the time. Where can I catch games in the states? also where on the internet is best for rugby news/scores?

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

new rugbyrugby,com
i usually google the game I am looking to watch at kickoff time and go through the live links as they come up, its a bit hit or miss. on tv setana which is now fsn shows almost all of the rugby shown in the US

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

Man. I dunno. We're being loyal where we've no need too. We've suffered some terrible loses recently, and played some awful rugby.

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

if they asked for my opinion they should fire pete de villers and give jake his job back

how made other times in history has a nation released a head coach directly after winning a world cup? and the man they hand the reigns to slowly dismantles all his work and runs an amazing team into the ground by failure to act, recruit, lead and develop anything. He sits in an office and makes an ass of himself on occasion whilst making excuses for poor performance

I have nothing but respect for white, where ever he ends up he will be an asset to a team and have a direct impact of tactics and performance

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

any interest in a fantasy rugby league for 6 nations and or super 15
I am happy to set it up and admin it. We can play for pride or for stakes

what say you?

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

Well, depending on the stakes, I'm in for either!

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

Gavin Henson to Toulon? Discuss...

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

lumpy, since there was interest I didnt create a whole division, but playing at testrugby.com and I just registered and in in the open500 still got 40 hrs. to register before first round lock

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

:tu couldn't join open500 though :td

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

What did you make of the game Eng-Wal match, James? I enjoyed it, showed a lot of promise from youngsters!

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

wales are out so many starters, I dont think you can get an accurate idea about englands squad until they play france and ireland, who are the more complete squads right now

but it was a fun game to watch, surprised to see wilko playing

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

It was great to see 7's on TV on Saturday. However it was really annoying hearing the commentators say touchdown every time a try was scored.

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

I was really disappointed with the nbc coverage of LV 7's
they only showed 40 minutes of actually rugby in a 2 hr broadcast
the play by play guys were so bad I turned the sound off and listened to music instead of them

but it is good to get some major network exposure for rugby, even 7's, in the US

Re: A Rugby Thread
 

I managed to catch more 7's today on VS. I see what you mean. It was an hour long broadcast for one match. Still enjoy seeing rugby though. I have the most basic plan you can pay for so no special channels here to watch the games.