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Reply 5180

Roobsa

Mad.

Reply 5181

Ethereal

http://www.dumptackle.com/epages/es137660.sf/sec6b3d59b8f6/?ObjectID=17679335&ViewAction=View&PageSize=50

Reply 5182

Angry cucumber

Come on the Chiefs!! :biggrin:

Reply 5183

marcusmerehay

Absolutely gutted for Exeter last night - defended like demons and were unlucky not to have the first try awarded (I thought the TMO would have given benefit of the doubt).

Helped that Stade were making hundreds of unforced errors but in going for long-range kicks they clearly respected Exeter's dominance.

If only Nacho had landed that drop-goal at the end!

Reply 5184

username345562

Original post by marcusmerehay

(I thought the TMO would have given benefit of the doubt)

Benefit of the doubt holds nothing. The referee has two questions which then dictate the decision should the TV evidence be inconclusive; where conclusive means that the TV evidence is not controversial and cannot be disputed.

Try or no try? - If inconclusive No Try
Any reason I cannot award a try? - If Inconclusive Try

The issue is with the Referees failing to ask the correct question in the first place. Too many officials fail to ask the correct question in the first place. I thought Fitzgibbon was very poor last night, both sides were allowed to stand miles offside, which mad the game very messy...

Reply 5185

QwentyJ

I just wanted to say:

EDINBURGH!!!!

Reply 5186

username345562

Original post by QwentyJ

I just wanted to say:

EDINBURGH!!!!

A great result. They defended really well when down the two men and took full advantage in the second half. 3 celtic teams in the semi finals.

Cardiff were awful. The sooner they get Tovey in the better...

Reply 5187

y gorau

Original post by Idris Dragon

Parks is a good player, the sooner people stop blaming him for the Blues' failures the better. Baber and Burnell need to go at the end of the season, and we need to get a new tighthead! Scott Andrews was taken apart yesterday.

Reply 5188

Drogue

Wow, Ulster win away at Munster and Saracens get trashed at home to Clermont. Another disappointing European season for Munster, and no English teams in the semis of either the Heineken or Amlin Challenge cups. Seems pretty ominous for a French-dominated future.

Though sadly as a Saints supporter it makes it a lot more likely that the top seeded teams next year will be the usual Leinster, Toulouse and Munster plus Biarritz, Cardiff and whoever wins the Heineken cup this year. Unless Leinster beat Clermont away and then win the final, Northampton will be ranked 7th again :frown:

Reply 5189

QwentyJ

Original post by Idris Dragon

Parks is alright, but they're not using him effectively. That has to lay solely at the doors of the coaches - whom I don't rate either. I'd play Henson over Sweeney every time. Doesn't help when you're Chairman has a pop at an ex-coach so publicly. I think the atmosphere at the Blues is fairly toxic and it needs a back-room clear-out and some decent coaches.

Reply 5190

Roobsa

Tough day at the office for the sarries.

Reply 5191

username345562

Original post by QwentyJ

Parks has been absolutely awful for the Blues all year. He's got two great centres inside of him most weeks and cramps their space and they don't get go forward. His decision making is also terrible when the go forward, way way too keen to kick the ball. Sweeney is a know quantity and will give you a solid performance every week and I agree, the blues are a mess at the moment.

I think Burnell and Baber have been given a difficult task and maybe next year, once things have calmed down, we might see an upturn at the blues. It is very interesting to see how the Ospreys have performed now that Holley & more importantly, Johnson have been shown the door.

Also some talk of a 'valleys' region floating about. http://www.valleysrugby.com/

What a waste of time. As a supporter of a valleys club, I'd like to see a greater level of support to the existing premiership clubs; currently Pontypool get no regional support, even though their players are snapped up. A valleys region is not constructive for Rugby in wales.

Reply 5192

username345562

Original post by Roobsa

Tough day at the office for the sarries.

The full stop at the end of this sentence has more dimensions than the Sarries attacking play today. The period of continual white line fever was at times embarrassing to watch. After butchering so many chances last week against quins you'd have thought that it would have been a major focus for the coaches.

I thought Clermont were very clinical though, they took their foot off of the gas a touch in the second half, but their defense was very strong.

Reply 5193

Gob Bluth

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17678237

Sad news. Never really rated him, but sad to see someone having to retire early because of a serious injury.

Reply 5194

username345562

Original post by Gob Bluth

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17678237

Sad news. Never really rated him, but sad to see someone having to retire early because of a serious injury.

He worked bloody hard to get into the Newport team and got lucky to some degree with injuries to Matthew Rees and a couple of others, but was solid and did a good job for us in New Zealand when called upon.

I hope he is well looked after by the WRPA, especially if he is unable to work because of his injury.

Reply 5195

QwentyJ

Original post by Idris Dragon

Probably because they've been trying to play a game plan which had them in the HC SF's 2/3 years ago with a 10 who's not used to that game style./ Seriously, you'd be better off asking a mugger to give you back the valuables he stole from you than ask parks to play an expansive game! Sweeney is just merde (he really is), so you'll have to see if Tovey steps up nest season.

If you were playing a territory based game with parks kicking to the corner and using one out passes to the 12 channel to clear traffic to give him a platform for kicking, then you'd be alright - but this is redundant seeing as he's off to Connacht next season.

I honestly don't think any meaningful change will be made until you dislodge that turn in the punch-bowl that is the pie-man.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 5196

spanish9

Anyone up to spanish rugby? We've beaten Romania and Georgia this year!

Reply 5197

Mufasaa

Rugby would be so much better if teams scrummaged properly/refs reffed the scrums properly.

Reply 5198

username345562

Original post by Mufasaa

Rugby would be so much better if teams scrummaged properly/refs reffed the scrums properly.

We should get rid of the crouch, touch pause engage lark and go back to packing down; i.e. removing the hit. Getting the scrum square and steady is simple then and neither side pushes until the ball goes in. It also eliminates the issue with jerseys as props have time to get a hold and bind properly rather than the second or so after the hit as they currently have (getting hold of a jersey is hard now; particularly the ones that Wales wear...)

Reply 5199

pinkpenguin

Original post by Idris Dragon

Defo this. If I was a referee I would just ping teams all day for early pushing. Make sure they're closer together so there's not a 1.5m lunge into the scrums, make sure they're wearing proper jerseys, and dispense with this crouch touch pause crap. It's hard enough to hold the proper scrummage position without having to hold it for half an hour while the referee counts you in!