The Rugby Union Thread

hywelg

No mention for the man of the match????

Gassage

Horrendous news:

Joost van der Westhuizen gone.

RIP - a legend, a warrior, a gentleman.

digitalscream

rsvmark

hywelg said:

No mention for the man of the match????

Picomoles was outstanding

guitars4you

Gassage said:

Horrendous news:

Joost van der Westhuizen gone.

RIP - a legend, a warrior, a gentleman.

England produce great teams at times - very rarely (if ever) do we produce such individual talent as Joost - such a sad way to go at such a young age - yet he gave so much when he was around

exocet

It's really depressing when you see once mighty performers in "reduced circumstances". 45 is no age and to see him shrivel to a husk of his former self is heartrending.

kjdowd

Clifford, Itoje and Hughes is a pretty good match up against Tipuric and Warburton. Unfortunately Wales are allowed to pick another back row as well, aren't they?

koneguitarist

Just once I would like to see Ireland actually reffed properly, yes they are better team, yes they are going forward, but still have to play to same laws. Consistently taking players out off the ball in front of rucks, Devon Toner biggest man on the field but still always missed being in front of rucks stopping opposition coming in. Try scored with almost every player joining maul in front of ball carrier. 
Game is loaded against Italy with only 6day turnaround without one sided officiating. 

eSully

I Feel for Italy, I hope Connor O'Shea does well with them and improves both the pro sides and national team but he has a big task. They were really dire today. I really don't think that game told us that much about how good Ireland will be for the rest of the 6 nations despite the scoreline. Hopefully Wales - England will be a better spectacle.

snakemanStoo

Winning seems to have become a bit of a habit for England.  I agree with what I remember Jiff saying, Wales have to kick out of hand better.

MagicPigDetective

If only JD had kicked to touch. The game was lost by Wales after an unbelievable effort.

koneguitarist

Sheer stupidity, plus a couple of dodgy scrum calls, find it hard to wheel a scrum that fast when the Welsh front row is straight, yet England pulling it round. Also Sinkler off his feet no doubt when given that penalty. 

koneguitarist

Howley has to fucking go, it's his orders to keep ball in field, it's his decision to keep picking Cuthbert, his decision to keep Sam Davies on Bench, his decision to put the slowest center in history on bench to cover backs! 

exocet

I'm over Helsinki...finally found the Rugby bar at Half Time....bitterly disappointed to give the game away like that. Well played England.

fretmeister

Dodgiest call was Webb not getting a yellow for the deliberate knock on.

fretmeister

Message from Bertie 

"hahahahahahahahahahaha"

snakemanStoo

We're watching the womens six nations game on sky.  The commentary team have said that England women are full timers, while the Welsh women aren't.  It really shows in the difference of abilities.  I suppose I'd have seen similar when the mens game turned professional. 

digitalscream

fretmeister said:

Dodgiest call was Webb not getting a yellow for the deliberate knock on.

Or when one of the England players got clotheslined in front of the ref...

MagicPigDetective

The subs were a bad move....Moriarty was having a monster of a game

koneguitarist

digitalscream said:

fretmeister said:

Dodgiest call was Webb not getting a yellow for the deliberate knock on.

Or when one of the England players got clotheslined in front of the ref...

Did not see that, saw the hand in eyes by Nathan Hughes though! Saw a couple of highish tackles by both sides which ref correctly dealt with I thought. Only Welsh thing we got away with Moriarty late tackle.