England 2024/25

[Vieux Talonneur]

Wayne Barnes, now on the RFU Council has apparently launched a 'blistering' attack on his own referees union for their role in calling for a Special General Meeting.

Don't know the detail - the full article's behind a Telegraph paywall.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Much less bad

 

[BrokenWing]

They're on a big bonus if they can make the anger go away.

 

[Scotty]

Sweeney is pretty much a dead man walking and is now just rinsing the RFU for what he can get.

Given his age he will hang on as long as possible to top up his pension and sort himself out then retire before he's fired and probably get a leaving bonus.

Needs to be fired on the spot

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Why?

For accepting a bonus he was contractually entitled to? Good luck with that…..and I suspect his pension is very long since sorted. From Sweeney's perspective this is likely to be more about reputation and saving face.

Hand on heart in his shoes how many of us would have declined the bonus 'for the greater good'. You might like to think you would, but I bet most of you wouldn't (including myself in that).

If you're talking about the failure of the England men's team, the tackle height fiasco etc, well that's a different matter.

 

[mikebrownsauce1512]

Sad news about Ant Watson, could make the world XV every year when fit. A great player on both side's of the ball, shame his career has been cut short.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Sad news about Ant Watson, could make the world XV every year when fit. A great player on both side's of the ball, shame his career has been cut short.

Real shame, but unsurprised.

Genuinely world class. Excellent career, but could have been so much more without the injuries.

Duty bound to ask for a final time "but did he ever play full back for his club?".

 

[Scotty]

Why?

For accepting a bonus he was contractually entitled to? Good luck with that…..and I suspect his pension is very long since sorted. From Sweeney's perspective this is likely to be more about reputation and saving face.

Hand on heart in his shoes how many of us would have declined the bonus 'for the greater good'. You might like to think you would, but I bet most of you wouldn't (including myself in that).

If you're talking about the failure of the England men's team, the tackle height fiasco etc, well that's a different matter.

Doubt I would I don't disagree, and I think that bonus is an annoyance as he didnt deserve it and the criteria was ridiculous

But my point was more your last paragraph, so many mistakes through his career(alot more than stated) thats the point and this leading to him getting a big bonus at pension age and walking away, not sure he can come away with reputation in tact so I just think he'll hang on as long as possible.

 

[Reiser99]

So barring Sale beating Toulon with a bonus point.

We have
7/8 French teams in the Round of 16.
5/8 URC teams (3/3 Irish teams, 1/1 Scottish teams, 1/1 Italian teams and 1/3 S.A teams plus 0/0 Welsh teams)
4/8 Premiership teams

Feel like we've underperformed as a league. Not saying this is a reflection of the England squad, but I'd hope to have more teams competing further in the tournament, especially for the experience. Look how Leicester got thumped by Toulouse. Sure it's not an exact match, but there were enough internationals to make it worrying.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

So barring Sale beating Toulon with a bonus point.

We have
7/8 French teams in the Round of 16.
5/8 URC teams (3/3 Irish teams, 1/1 Scottish teams, 1/1 Italian teams and 1/3 S.A teams plus 0/0 Welsh teams)
4/8 Premiership teams

Feel like we've underperformed as a league. Not saying this is a reflection of the England squad, but I'd hope to have more teams competing further in the tournament, especially for the experience. Look how Leicester got thumped by Toulouse. Sure it's not an exact match, but there were enough internationals to make it worrying.

English rugby as a whole just seems to be going backwards at a rate of knots. I think the fundamental conservatism in English rugby is really catching up on us now. The modern game involves slick offloading, running good support lines and keeping the game alive. England internationally and at club level are still trying to play the suffocating, slow set piece to set piece style and it's simply not working. We try to bludgeon our way to victory without having the strength or fitness to do that.

English rugby needs to throw away the negative culture and embrace new ideas. We are functioning the same as the Welsh tactically but just have a better player pool to cover that.

 

[Which Tyler]

So barring Sale beating Toulon with a bonus point.

We have
7/8 French teams in the Round of 16.
5/8 URC teams (3/3 Irish teams, 1/1 Scottish teams, 1/1 Italian teams and 1/3 S.A teams plus 0/0 Welsh teams)
4/8 Premiership teams

Feel like we've underperformed as a league. Not saying this is a reflection of the England squad, but I'd hope to have more teams competing further in the tournament, especially for the experience. Look how Leicester got thumped by Toulouse. Sure it's not an exact match, but there were enough internationals to make it worrying.

Given that a proper Champ Cup would have 6 French, 5 URC and 4 English (+previous year's Challenge cup winner) that looks pretty a much perfect distribution.
The problem is the 8 teams who shouldn't have been there in the first place

 

[Reiser99]

Also Sale actually did thump Toulon,

So 6/8 French teams and 5/8 URC and Premiership teams. That looks a bit better.