Rugby Matches

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  • Preseason: Blues v Hurricanes

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  • England v Italy 6 Nations

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    @Catogrande said in England v Italy 6 Nations:

    @Victor-Meldrew said in England v Italy 6 Nations:

    @Catogrande said in England v Italy 6 Nations:

    @Victor-Meldrew said in England v Italy 6 Nations:

    @Bones said in England v Italy 6 Nations:

    @sparky said in England v Italy 6 Nations:

    @Bones Ollie Lawrence has had a decent game

    So has Chessum.

    Itoje pretty anonymous. Can't work out if he was engine-room mode or just, well, anonymous.

    You sure you weren't watching a recording of last week's game? Itoje played well and came up with one or two really big plays.

    Nothing wrong with being anonymous if you're in the tight 5 - means you're doing the hard yakka. Thought it was a pretty uncharacteristic game for him though.

    Aah! I take your point. Not as gobby as before. I did pose the question on here during the Autumn series that Itoje is not the whooping, hollering dickhead for Sarries that he is for England and whether that was an Eddie stratagem. Maybe Borthwick doesn't go for the same mind games?

    Eddie has openly admitted that he encouraged it. Itoje did buy into it though and it only built on what he was doing anyway.
    Let’s hope this is a sign that he’s grown up.

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    @kiwi_expat said in Preseason: Highlanders v Crusaders:

    @SouthernMann said in Preseason: Highlanders v Crusaders:

    @Stargazer said in Super Rugby 2023:

    @SouthernMann said in Super Rugby 2023:

    Jack Taylor

    He was in the NZU19 squad, but I can't remember him. He didn't play for Southland in the NPC, did he? A bit young, I guess. Good for the future.

    He would be 19 I'd reckon still. Or may be just 20. In 2021 he penned a three year deal with the Highlanders. He started in the Southland trial, de Groot played in prior to his return to the All Blacks.

    Crazy thing is that this guy isn't even slated for a professional contract until 2024/25.

    Highlanders have such a small catchment that they rarely if ever produce homegrown talent. By way of comparison NZ has 5 million people, and 250,000 of them live in the Highlanders region. The Blues have close to 2 Million.

    The last few years have been a major turnaround for them, with seven of the NZ U20 squad coming from the Otago Southland Region. Of those seven, five were offered professional Highlanders contracts, and they're the year ahead of Jack Taylor.

    He hasn't even cracked the NZ U20 team (though he has represented the NZ U19 size). Based off what we're seeing he's absolutely got the goods to be playing Super Rugby next season, as does Finn Hurley and Will Stodart the other two U19 representatives.

    Also loved seeing James Arscott have a ripper of a game today. From memory he missed out on the NZ U20 side a few years ago, and I'm stoked he's making waves. Rohan Wingman is another I've felt slipped under the national radar. Our talent identification down South is really turning this team around.

    Yeah I hope Wingham gets a good run with Otago this year. Could have a decent 1-2 punch with Abraham Pole. Then eventually the same with the Highlanders and de Groot. Going to be interesting to see how these young loose forwards are managed and given gametime. Stodart, Withy, Haig and Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa all at Otago. While Hayden Michaels who has a fulltime for the Highlanders in 2024 is with Southland. It is quite a group of loosies. Otago also has a bit of a conundrum over its 10/15s with Miller, Hurley, Faleafaga, Ioane, Koroi and Gilbert competing for spots. Does Otago loan say Hurley and Stodart down to Southland to ensure they get gametime? A lot of the young players are focused in those positions, it is important they get a decent run to showcase their skills.

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    @Bovidae malimali looked dangerous on the few occasions he was given the ball could be useful

  • England v Scotland 6N

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    @Catogrande said in England v Scotland 6N:

    @Machpants said in England v Scotland 6N:

    @antipodean said in England v Scotland 6N:

    @Machpants said in England v Scotland 6N:

    SA mark 2

    70 open-plays kicks in the game against Scotland on Saturday, 34 by England and 36 by Scotland. The difference looks negligible: but scratch the surface, and 13 of the England kicks were launched from positions inside the Scotland half, compared to only two by their opponents.

    Testatment to the attacking brilliance of their five-eighth...

    Which one?

    Evans?

    Nah, it was mainly from 9 as I recall and not just a shit option, shit execution too.

    Yeah it was very FafDK, but crapper

  • Italy v France 6N

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    @MiketheSnow said in Italy v France 6N:

    @pakman said in Italy v France 6N:

    @Bones said in Italy v France 6N:

    @pakman said in Italy v France 6N:

    Just watched unawarded Italian penalty at goal three times in slow motion. Absolutely no doubt it was over. What the hell are the touchies doing?

    Yeah I was keen for another look at that, but nobody else has kicked up a fuss have they? Even the kicker didn't appear to have a problem.

    When French guy caught ball he was outside line of sticks. BUT that was because the ball swerved AFTER it had crossed the crossbar.

    If that had correctly been awarded Frenchies’ constant infringing would have lost them the game, given the kickable penalties at the end.

    WTF have a TMO if he can’t check that?

    How fucking hard is it to put VAR tech on goalposts ffs?

    At the moment they can't easily get shot clock tech running. Shot/play clocks have been used in other sports for a very long time yet rugby has to try and work out how to do it?!
    Seriously though, it would be another time waster as anything that looked close would be checked. Happy for it to remain the judgement of trained officials with the option for the TMO to check on clear blunders.

  • Wales v Ireland 6N

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    @Bovidae said in Wales v Ireland 6N:

    @mariner4life said in Wales v Ireland 6N:

    Garlands old men were fucking average too. AWJ, Tipuric and Faletau were liabilities, too slow of foot. They also aren't fit enough

    I'd include Owens and North as well. But are the next tier any good? The Welsh scrum is still a liability.

    Gatland's biggest mistake of this selection was not having Tompkins inloved

  • All Blacks v England

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    @Joans-Town-Jones said in All Blacks v England:

    @TheMojoman said in All Blacks v England:

    @nostrildamus said in All Blacks v England:

    @TheMojoman Stevenson or Lam?

    I'd love to see Stevenson in the mix but IMO he would be competing for the 14 spot with Jordan, Telea and Reece potentially as 15 cover. Lam is a maybe, not sure he has the same impact as Clarke though as a power winger.

    Foster (rightly IMO) clearly wants to play a power winger/finesse winger combination with his 14 also an extra FB with kicking etc. Leads me to believe Jordan will be the first choice 14 when fit. Telea has been the find of the northern tour.

    I'm on the Shaun Stevenson bandwagon. He needs to be and AB.

    an

  • France vs Springboks

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    @Bones said in France vs Springboks:

    I guess this goes here?

    Ben James  /  Dec 14, 2022  /  Rugby News Wayne Barnes considered quitting after threats to family over Erasmus criticism Wayne Barnes considered quitting after threats to family over Erasmus criticism

    The abuse came after Barnes took charge of South Africa's defeat to France last month

    Barnes siding with the French over a controversial match? well I never...

    this looks like it could also go in the conspiracy theory thread, recently known as the Laporte thread.. its evidence he is corrupt lol!

  • England vs Springboks

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    @OomPB 😁

  • Wales v Australia

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    @Dan54 nothing memorable in this game - I was speaking generally about home broadcasters.

    Your point about the TMO is valid BUT that doesn't stop the OB director replaying stuff up on the big screen and getting the ref to check.

    Happened to us several times on EOYT last year.

  • Northampton Saints v Barbarians

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    @Higgins Hika turns 37 in January.

  • France v Japan

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    @Crucial would've liked to see an aerial/zoomed out view - look to be some nice deception with maybe some of the inside backs on the right sweeping left too. Would open up huge space anywhere on the field.

  • WRWC Final - NZ Vs England

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    England winger Lydia Thompson appeared before an independent judicial committee on Monday, 21 November having received a red card in the Rugby World Cup 2021 final on 12 November, 2022. The red card was awarded for an offence pursuant to Law 9.13 (Dangerous tackle).

    The player accepted that she had committed the act of foul play and that the offence was worthy of a red card. Having considered the player’s evidence and reviewed the clips, the Committee applied World Rugby’s mandatory minimum mid-range entry point for foul play resulting in contact with the head. This resulted in a starting point of a six match suspension.

    The Committee took into consideration the mitigating factors and decided that the player was entitled to the full mitigation available (three matches). The Committee decided there were no aggravating factors and therefore the final sanction was a three-match suspension.

    The player is therefore suspended for the following matches:

    Worcester Women v Wasps Women – 17 December, 2022 Worcester Women v DMP Sharks – 31 December, 2022 Worcester Women v Gloucester-Hartpury – 7 January, 2023*

    *The player may apply to take part in the World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme to substitute the final match of the sanction for a coaching intervention aimed at modifying specific techniques and technical issues that contributed to the foul play.

    worldrugby.org Independent disciplinary process update: Lydia Thompson (England) | World Rugby Independent disciplinary process update: Lydia Thompson (England) | World Rugby

    England winger Lydia Thompson has been suspended for three matches having received a red card in the Rugby World Cup 2021 final for an offence pursuant to Law 9.13 (Dangerous tackle).

  • Wales v Georgia

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    @booboo said in Wales v Georgia:

    @Catogrande said in Wales v Georgia:

    @Kiwiwomble

    Just what is wrong with having the traditional colours with ONE back up change?

    England have gone from white unless a clash, in which case black, to all the colours of the fucking rainbow including purple FFS and for no real reason at all, save for trying to milk a few quid. If ever there was an example of the law of diminishing returns better than that, I’d, well I’d cheer on Wales!

    Why would England's change strip not be red? Or maybe blue?

    Why would it?

    Traditionally it was always black, though hardly ever used. Not sure why black but there you are, it is what it is. Until the marketing fluffybunnies get involved.

  • Italy v South Africa

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    LibBok performance

  • Waratahs vs Hurricanes

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    @cgrant I be pleased if Lomax does, I really got on his wagon we first arrived at Ta$man, just loved how he scrummed, had a back so straight you coauld put a cuppa on it, but took a while to really come through. I from old school that reckom a real straight back allows the power coming through from behind to go where it sholud.

  • Scotland v Argentina

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    Surely - SURELY - after Luke Pearce's "bicep, not shoulder" yellow card against Scotland v Wallabies a few weeks back, Kremer escapes any form of punishment and should get an apology for that horrible decision?

    Yes waiter, I had the sour grapes. Put them here next to my whine.

    alt text

  • Ireland v Australia

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  • Tonga v Uruguay

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    @Stargazer said in Tonga v Uruguay:

    What this shows is that Tonga is stronger than most other tier 3 countries.

    Tonga is tier 3? Clearly I don't know WTF the tiers are now.