RaboDirect Pro 12 Round 1, 2

[DuncTheDoodle]

The fact that both George and then subsequently Liam Williams went up to ruffle the same players (Leinster no. 23, not sure who it was) hair can only make me assume that he'd said something to them that we wouldn't've caught.

And I don't have a problem with a bit of winding up here and there. If anything, I'm all for it provided it's not too harsh. Adds to the fun in my opinion, even if it isn't sporting in a traditional sense.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Well, a very interesting first round to be honest. Lets hope Ulster keep this up!!!

 

[welshglory]

Well, we didn't have a choice did we? IRFU player welfare regulations and such. In any case, we lost, so we got what we deserved.


I don't think it's the like of Leinster that the French and English have a problem with, more the like of Edinburgh who paid zero attention to the league last year.

The Scarlet's supporters were probably bothered by it, that's why only 6,000 or so showed up.

 

[coonor]

Yes they do have a problem with Leinster.

As they can afford to rest their players whilst losing in the league not mattering much and keep them fresher for the Heineken Cup matches.

To be fair, I agree with the proposals of changing the qualification structure but in reality top sides in England like Leicester could rest players in the same way as Leinster when playing the likes of Sale, London Irish, London Welsh and Bath. If they backed their strength in depth then they could still get away resting players. Obviously this isn't at the same level that Leinster rest players but no one is forcing them to play there full teams and destroy weak opposition in the way that they do.

 

[Thingimubob]

Scarlets back line is great to watch (maybe not so much for me tonight!), full of pace, power, size, good hands, excellent running lines etc. Will Priestland get back in at flyhalf?

I really don't like seeing players pat opponents on the head after a screw up. Castrogiovanni does it all the time. Scarlets were at it today after North's second try. They're a much better team to be doing things like that.

I noticed that too, usually I hate it, but I reckon they did it after that try because the Leinster player (no idea what his name is) put a cheeky shoulder into North a fair second or two after he touched the ball down. Nothing major obviously but petty enough to attract a bit of equally petty attention from the Scarlets boys .

 

[Tony Manx]

....... the Leinster player (no idea what his name is) put a cheeky shoulder into North a fair second or two after he touched the ball down....... .

I really hate that too...........too often you see the defender use a foot or a knee or even an elbow on the try scoring player half an hour after the defender has any chance of preventing the try!!

Only once have I seen this penalised - after the conversion attempt and with a penalty kick from the half way to the scoring team...............they should be given a penalty immediately after, and from where the, conversion kick was attempted and the culprit yellow carded!!

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I noticed that too, usually I hate it, but I reckon they did it after that try because the Leinster player (no idea what his name is) put a cheeky shoulder into North a fair second or two after he touched the ball down. Nothing major obviously but petty enough to attract a bit of equally petty attention from the Scarlets boys .

You're right, I missed it at the time. Darren Hudson shouldered George North. In that context, while I don't like North's reaction, I completely understand it. Hudson was being petulant and North called him up on it. A second Scarlets player got involved too- I don't believe he should have had anything to do with it.

English clubs saying they've a problem with Pro 12 qualification is a smokescreen. They want more money when the current agreement is up and are coming up with a convenient excuse. They aren't bothered by Leinster resting players- Leinster have only finished below 3rd twice so they're hardly taking the **** in the league.

 

[Tribesmen-ce-123]

Alan Quinlan was saying that the French clubs get four or five times the budget of the likes of Leinster? If thats true its nuts that they aren't successful in the a Heineken cup.

 

[big ginger 8]

No one's allowed insult Hudson he went to my school. You are allowed discuss his abnormally large nose however.

 

[Draggs]

Didn't have time to get a round two thread up.
Tom James is a ****ing dense player.
Edinburgh were made to look like world beaters. Blues pack... The hell?

 

[TrueSlawter]

His run at the end was good.. untill he tried to offload it... <.<

 

[Draggs]

His run at the end was good.. untill he tried to offload it... <.<

He blew at least two tries.
Sweeney was shite, as was the Blues pack. Filise must be up there as one of the worst props I have ever seen. Ma'afu and Filise should be a barrel of laughs.

Priestland 1/7 or so, by the looks of it.

 

[Thingimubob]

I don't want Tom James anywhere f*cking near a Blues shirt for the rest of the season, butchers two tries by not passing/passing the wrong way when there were men clear on on the outside then when he needs to keep hold on to the ball he chucks it randomly and loses the ball in the dying minutes. Send him back to bloody Merthyr RFC, Tom Williams was on the bench, why not give him a chance rather than let James mess it up time and time again. That said, anyone notice that Richie Rees looked offside from the kick through after James pass breaking down? If he was that was a HUGE miss from the ref considering it let to 7 points and a yellow for Navidi (who I was impressed with, quite like him and Warburton in the same back row).

Right now that's out of the system, Blues scrum = bloody awful. Since when is Filise a loosehead and since when was he even a good scrummager, Borrust guy wasn;t too bad I suppose, might have been able to hold the scrum steady if we'd kept hold of Melon. Sweeney isn't all that great under pressure even if he does to some nice touches, really want to see Tovey in the team already!

Rhys Patchell impressed me when he came on too, looked for work everywhere, chased everything, kicked well and put his tackles in. Good prospect.

 

[Draggs]

Nice to see you about, Thingimubob.
Agree with everything there. I liked Pretorius, cleared up so much crap at the back of the scrum. He is going the 'Faletau' route of training...

The biggest thing is this is nowhere near unusual for James. I've always said he is a wonderful runner, just no brain.

 

[psychic duck]

He blew at least two tries.
Sweeney was shite, as was the Blues pack. Filise must be up there as one of the worst props I have ever seen. Ma'afu and Filise should be a barrel of laughs.

Priestland 1/7 or so, by the looks of it.

The funny thing is that Scott Andrews was so bad that the Cardiff Blues begged him to come out of retirement for this season.

 

[Draggs]

The funny thing is that Scott Andrews was so bad that the Cardiff Blues begged him to come out of retirement for this season.

Funny/Sad. I suppose I am one to talk about scrums, but today was simply a shambles. How is Filise an international?

 

[Draggs]

Is there a food shortage in Stockport yet?
Eifion and Tony look like two lads who can put it away.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Interesting to see Kieran Marmion start again this week. Eric Elwood clearly thinks he's got some serious skills. It's nice to see some young Irish scrum halves finally pushing through. With Reddan and Boss on the way out, we have a nice young crop with Marmion, Cooney, McGrath and even Mike Philips lite.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Is there a food shortage in Stockport yet?
Eifion and Tony look like two lads who can put it away.

Collectively they weigh more than the rest of the Sale squad put together.

True story.


We're based in Barton/Carrington (training base is Carrington, has been for years) now anyhow. Get your facts right Plastic-South-African!

 

[Draggs]

Collectively they weigh more than the rest of the Sale squad put together.

True story.


We're based in Barton/Carrington (training base is Carrington, has been for years) now anyhow. Get your facts right Plastic-South-African!

With Richie Gray and Andy Powell you have quite a heavy pack. Reminds me of when I'd try to make the heaviest pack in Rugby 08 World League. I think my Bristol pack took the cake, I'll have to dig it up.

Edit: CJ van der Linde, Anton Oliver, Faan Rautenbach, Brent Cockbain, Sean Hohneck, Keith Robinson, Ollie Kohn, Martin Corry. Had Charteris on the bench as well. One of my best R08 tries I've scored was with v/d Linde. 60m out, handed off two defenders and ran around a back. I think put a chip kick in just for comedic effect.

Stockport, Carrington, it's all the same. Excuse me, I have some Boerewors to eat and balls to kick.