The Rugby Union Thread

kaypeejay

Stressed as anything after that. Small steps for Wales

tbm

Can’t believe Wales are on 2 wins. How much better did they look with Sheedy? Scotland were the better team. Rees-Zammit is a bit good though, eh? 

koneguitarist

Wiped out after that. LRZ is out of this world, only 20 last week.

tbm

koneguitarist said:

Wiped out after that. LRZ is out of this world, only 20 last week.

The touch finder was sublime. Best bit of skill today. 

exocet

We got out of jail yet again. Feel for Scotland who played very well. We're very fortunate to have LRZ, very classy and composed. 

koneguitarist

LRZ and May on wings, and Hogg, back 3 for Lions I reckon. 

ewal

Game turned on a couple of moments, although Scotland discipline and error count didn't match last week's levels.

sev112

koneguitarist said:

LRZ and May on wings, and Hogg, back 3 for Lions I reckon. 

LRZ needs to be tested in defence first.
good player but all the other wings have scored good tries
Interesting that Barclay, Davies and Guscott all thought it was a mishit!  Looked like a deliberate shaper to me

Adams, if he doesn’t go to any more parties is the form, experienced and big game player for the other wing.

McMerwe will also get picked in the squad unfortunately, but he is quite good - not yet very good, but quite good.

p90fool

Only another three red cards and we'll have a Grand Slam, game on!

koneguitarist

Think LRZ has been tested enough, much better defence than Cuthbert and North ever had. 

Schnozz

I'm Cornish so in the England camp, but I do/did kind of like the idea of France or Scotland winning it for a change - Particularly the latter. 

sev112

koneguitarist said:

Think LRZ has been tested enough, much better defence than Cuthbert and North ever had. 

 Not at all yet. They are picking for the world champions and flair comes with youth. Defence comes with experience. To my mind, young players need to have Lou-sequel impact to go 8 to the best in the world test series, and he is not that in his current play.
potential? Who knows.  Doesn’t look special, looks like he could be good.
Id still go for Adams - he scores tries for fun and and isn’t phased in the big games already.

koneguitarist

I have no idea, what that means?  young players need to have Lou-sequel impact to go to 8 to the best in the world test series? 

scrumhalf

Much of the England game was meh, but Jonny May's finish was sublime.

sev112

koneguitarist said:

I have no idea, what that means?  young players need to have Lou-sequel impact to go to 8 to the best in the world test series? 

Ha ha - was it not obvious... sorry, my typing after South African Merlot leaves a lot to be desired - I am sure my iPad does it deliberately !

what I was very badly typing was that new young flair players need to have a Lomo-esque type of impact, otherwise they are just short term form players; if they are going to face the best in the world , in a test series, they need more than just potential and a few good games.  

digitalscream

scrumhalf said:

Much of the England game was meh, but Jonny May's finish was sublime.

It was the only highlight from England.

I spent most of the game supporting Italy, to be honest. They've got quite an exciting team, and - more to the point - they actually looked like they wanted to win, rather than lose by the least points as has been their custom in recent years. There were flashes of great rugby in there.

Not only that, but I realised half way through the game that I actually want England to lose. I want them to have a rotten fourth or fifth place finish, maybe even last, because a really bad loss is the only thing that has a chance of getting Eddie to re-evaluate the approach that's clearly not working at all.

Or maybe the RFU need to re-evaluate Eddie.

koneguitarist

scrumhalf said:

Much of the England game was meh, but Jonny May's finish was sublime.

Illegal. Should have been a penalty. 

koneguitarist

sev112 said:

koneguitarist said:

I have no idea, what that means?  young players need to have Lou-sequel impact to go to 8 to the best in the world test series? 

Ha ha - was it not obvious... sorry, my typing after South African Merlot leaves a lot to be desired - I am sure my iPad does it deliberately !

what I was very badly typing was that new young flair players need to have a Lomo-esque type of impact, otherwise they are just short term form players; if they are going to face the best in the world , in a test series, they need more than just potential and a few good games.  

I’m sorry, but quality is quality, and LRZ is far and above what North was at same age. North was just powerful but had no real skills. And I think he has done ok, with Grand Slams and Lions Tours? 

As good as any winger in world rugby already, seems to have blistering pace, knows his way to try line and able to kick and tackle. What does he have to do? 

Have a Lomu impact, name a player since Lomu in NH rugby that has had a Lomu impact?

sev112

koneguitarist said:

scrumhalf said:

Much of the England game was meh, but Jonny May's finish was sublime.

Illegal. Should have been a penalty. 

Apparently that rule was changed  while back
i too was shouting at the TV  “he jumped the tackle” at the time 

koneguitarist

What rule, it’s never been allowed as far as I have known. You can dive for the ground to slide in or go low, but he clearly jumped in air?
if defender had taken his legs, he would be classed as playing man in air? May could quite easily have connected with head of defender?