What's new

The Rugby Thread

SugarRay

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2011
7,984
11,110
Why?

If the choice was between Lancaster and Gatland who would you prefer?

Dave Rennie would be a good shout. Worth talking to at least.

I hated Lancaster when he was England coach. No denying he’s done great stuff since though. Hats off to him

Coaches evolve, certainly in rugby union. Farrell was part of the failure at England, yet he’s taking over at Ireland next!

Gatland? To be honest, I think he’d do well with England. England have lacked a coach with a defined style for years. Traditionally Gatland ball, for want of a better description by the way, is England’s game isn’t it?
I’d be delighted to see an English pack that instills fear in to every opponent again.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,494
I hated Lancaster when he was England coach. No denying he’s done great stuff since though. Hats off to him

Coaches evolve, certainly in rugby union. Farrell was part of the failure at England, yet he’s taking over at Ireland next!

Gatland? To be honest, I think he’d do well with England. England have lacked a coach with a defined style for years. Traditionally Gatland ball, for want of a better description by the way, is England’s game isn’t it?
I’d be delighted to see an English pack that instills fear in to every opponent again.

Agree with that, I’d add that Gatland too has evolved his style over the last decade, particularly in the last couple of years. I think he’s great at identystrengths in individuals and a collective and tailoring a style/identity to that in order to win games. He’s good at working with whatever tools he has available to him imo.
 

teok

Well-Known Member
Aug 11, 2011
10,836
33,607
I see vern cotter is at montpelier. He would seem like a decent choice and possibly available.
 

teok

Well-Known Member
Aug 11, 2011
10,836
33,607
Bizarre situation. I was quite looking forward to the Edinburgh vs Newcastle tonight. Apparently newcastle have a huge injury crisis including tight heads:

"They have named their squad to face Edinburgh with David Wilson picked to start at tighthead, despite fitness concerns over the former England international. Trevor Davison, who does have some experience of playing at tighthead, has been named on the bench but he, too, is an injury doubt. Newcastle said on Thursday that Jon Welsh, Craig Mitchell and Paul Mullen all suffered injuries in a 24-hour period this week.

If one of Wilson or Davison is fit to play but there is no tighthead cover on the bench, Newcastle would start with 15 men but would be reduced to 14 – and all subsequent scrums would be uncontested – if and when that player leaves the field, meaning if he were to pick up an early injury it would be disastrous."


https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/dec/06/prop-crisis-newcastle-champions-cup-rugby-union
 

Thewobbler

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2016
3,814
5,701
https://www.skysports.com/rugby-uni...ille-proposes-expanded-two-league-premiership

Radical proposals to turn the Premiership into a two-league conference system have been made by RFU interim chief executive Nigel Melville.

The idea would mean expanding the Premiership to 16 clubs with two leagues made up of eight teams.

It is a move towards an American model, dividing the league along geographical boundaries, and would solve the issue of whether to ring fence the Premiership.

"If you expand, you have to go into a conference structure. You would go to 14 or 16 teams. Two eights would give you a true geographic spread," Melville said.

"Two eights would play home and away, then go into quarters, then go into semis. Then you could justify a proper conference structure with playoffs and fewer games. Do we really need the [Premiership Rugby] cup? Is it that important?

"If you look at the NFL, they don't have a cup competition. They focus on their core business.

"We've got nearly 1,200 professional players in the country and maybe the reason is that we've got so many competitions going on with elite players.

"That's money going out of the game. It's not going into infrastructure. Maybe we get down to 1,000 or 800 players."
 

Arnoldtoo

The thinking ape's ape
May 18, 2006
35,336
54,970
https://www.skysports.com/rugby-uni...ille-proposes-expanded-two-league-premiership

Radical proposals to turn the Premiership into a two-league conference system have been made by RFU interim chief executive Nigel Melville.

The idea would mean expanding the Premiership to 16 clubs with two leagues made up of eight teams.

It is a move towards an American model, dividing the league along geographical boundaries, and would solve the issue of whether to ring fence the Premiership.

"If you expand, you have to go into a conference structure. You would go to 14 or 16 teams. Two eights would give you a true geographic spread," Melville said.

"Two eights would play home and away, then go into quarters, then go into semis. Then you could justify a proper conference structure with playoffs and fewer games. Do we really need the [Premiership Rugby] cup? Is it that important?

"If you look at the NFL, they don't have a cup competition. They focus on their core business.

"We've got nearly 1,200 professional players in the country and maybe the reason is that we've got so many competitions going on with elite players.

"That's money going out of the game. It's not going into infrastructure. Maybe we get down to 1,000 or 800 players."

At first glance, admittedly, it sounds sensible to me.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,494
Apologies for the mail link but I thought this was a good interview. I like him. Funny fucker. I like how Eddie Jones calls any player who didn’t go to private school “The Gangster”
 
Last edited:

longtimespur

Well-Known Member
Sep 10, 2014
5,830
9,949
That's a great read and good to hear it from someone who suffers from it.
I never even thought about it before though I must confess so that's opened my eyes and mind.
 

teok

Well-Known Member
Aug 11, 2011
10,836
33,607
Well this is some thing.


EAu1UM2.png
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,494
Well this is some thing.


EAu1UM2.png

I mean, I like Stephen Jones but how the fuck are you not putting Lomu in there. I love Warburton but McCaw was ridiculous really. Mind you in a all time 15 there’s going to be cases made in every position. I’m not having Lomu not being in there. Mind you, as much as he was a prick, Campese was a borderline genius to be fair. Gerald Davies was a ledge 2. I’d probably have Campo at 15.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,494
I’ve got no problem with Parrise as he is class but Zinzan Brooke and Reid might feel a bit put out. No Dan Carter either. Actually if I was a Kiwi I’d say that team was a joke tbh.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,494
Just kiwi fans?

Not just Kiwi fans I suppose but seeing as they’ve been, more or less, the best team in the world for the last century they have the strongest case to feel most aggrieved.
 
Top