General rugby thread

[Kermit power]

Here's an interesting stat mentioned on the BBC Five Live Rugby podcast...

Racing are off to the Champions' Cup final in Bilbao with Dan Carter and Pat Lambie at no 10. Almost 180 international caps between them, and neither of them has scored a single point in Europe all season!

[Kermit power]

So...

Any neutrals planning on not supporting Newcastle in the playoffs?

Not exactly a classic game last night, but surely no other sport come close to rugby for that sort of absolutely relentless build up of pressure at the end of a game?

[iwantagta]

"Go Newcastle" is all I can say.
Odd decision at the end of the game - not sure how that could be given.

[Smollet]

Quins fall from grace has been spectacular. Just two away wins in two seasons. Apart from Kingston going(never up to the job in the first place imgo) all the coaches with possibly the exceptions of Jones and Evans should go along with the boss Ellis who seems more concerned about non rugby off the pitch stuff than the actual game for which the club is/ was renowned. I can see season ticket sales taking a hit for 2018/19.

[Kermit power]

Smollet said:

Quins fall from grace has been spectacular. Just two away wins in two seasons. Apart from Kingston going(never up to the job in the first place imgo) all the coaches with possibly the exceptions of Jones and Evans should go along with the boss Ellis who seems more concerned about non rugby off the pitch stuff than the actual game for which the club is/ was renowned. I can see season ticket sales taking a hit for 2018/19.

I’m keeping ours on the grounds that things surely have to get better!

I don’t think it’s purely a JK thing, and it should be remembered that this season was the first one in which we’d had Champions Cup rugby after several years under O’Shea without it, but I am hoping that JK going will lead to wholesale change in coaching staff (ideally except Nick Evans) under a new DoR.

Getting shot of Jamie “fking pointless” Roberts and his alleged £400k per annum wage bill can only help in that respect too.

ETA - Also, whilst I wouldn’t want to see rugby going to way of oikball in terms of sacking managers at the drop of a hat, I am inclined to think that both Quins and Saints have suffered from keeping the same management for far too long.

We should’ve had a proper new DoR last time, but the dead cat bounce of European rugby delayed it for a while.

Edited by Kermit power on Sunday 29th April 09:55

[Smollet]

Kermit power said:

Getting shot of Jamie “fking pointless” Roberts and his alleged £400k per annum wage bill can only help in that respect too.

Yes he has been a massive disappointment. Visser otoh has been value for money and still plays with pride. We have had a lot of injuries but even so the club has woefully underperformed considering it’s resources.

[jmorgan]

Pro14 gone to Premier Sport (??).

Odd game a week free to air. No idea what platform they are on but it is a shame.

[ooo000ooo]

jmorgan said:

Pro14 gone to Premier Sport (??).

Odd game a week free to air. No idea what platform they are on but it is a shame.

£9.99 a month or £99 a year to watch all the stuff nobody else wants.
If you're on BT TV it's not even a channel so have to either watch it on a tablet or cast it to your TV with all the quality that entails.
How did the BBC manage to lose that deal?

[jmorgan]

ooo000ooo said:

How did the BBC manage to lose that deal?

££ vs £££££

I enjoy the Pro14 (12 as it was). Not signing up for this. I wonder how much of a return they will get. Sky pulled out when a firm got the rights for Ireland (country not team).


Edit 2.Use ad blockers or this site will drive you nuts.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-ne...

Edit 3.
https://www.pro14rugby.org/2018/04/30/broadcastqa/

Freesports will have some free to air, BT/Youview box is one of them carrying the service??

And it goes HD this July, wow.

Edited by jmorgan on Tuesday 1st May 16:18

[ooo000ooo]

jmorgan said:

££ vs £££££

I enjoy the Pro14 (12 as it was). Not signing up for this. I wonder how much of a return they will get. Sky pulled out when a firm got the rights for Ireland (country not team).


Edit 2.Use ad blockers or this site will drive you nuts.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-ne...

Edit 3.
https://www.pro14rugby.org/2018/04/30/broadcastqa/

Freesports will have some free to air, BT is one of them.

And it goes HD this July, wow.

Edited by jmorgan on Tuesday 1st May 09:19

Wonder how much the pubs/clubs will have to pay for it? Sky's crazy money, I'd imagine BT isn't any cheaper, how many will pay another subscription to watch their local team playing a couple of matches a month. Not as if there's anything else on that they'll show to get a crowd in?

[Kermit power]

Does anyone understand the current permutations of Champions Cup qualification for next year?

I've been listening to a couple of rugby podcasts trying to explain it, and I'm not sure I've completely figured it out, but the best I could figure out is that if a Welsh rider wins the Tour de France, then Benetton Rugby have a play off for the final qualification place against the England ladies netball team?

Makes as much sense as anything else I've heard, anyway!

[Leins]

Best summary I’ve seen: http://www.the42.ie/ulster-pro14-playoff-leinster-...

And speaking of which, I believe the England ladies netball team are replacing the Southern Kings in the Pro14 next year

[Leins]

So looks like Jackson and possibly Olding are going to Sale. No sign of Ulster signing a new 10 yet, with Carbery and Byrne seemingly staying put here at Leinster

[irocfan]

a few suggestions that Haskell might see out his UK days at Bristol - and that that might prove a good place for Cips to go as well (though in his case I'd now be looking at a few big paydays seeing as he's not going to be wearing the white again)

[Vocal Minority]

Kermit power said:

Smollet said:

Quins fall from grace has been spectacular. Just two away wins in two seasons. Apart from Kingston going(never up to the job in the first place imgo) all the coaches with possibly the exceptions of Jones and Evans should go along with the boss Ellis who seems more concerned about non rugby off the pitch stuff than the actual game for which the club is/ was renowned. I can see season ticket sales taking a hit for 2018/19.

I’m keeping ours on the grounds that things surely have to get better!

I don’t think it’s purely a JK thing, and it should be remembered that this season was the first one in which we’d had Champions Cup rugby after several years under O’Shea without it, but I am hoping that JK going will lead to wholesale change in coaching staff (ideally except Nick Evans) under a new DoR.

Getting shot of Jamie “fking pointless” Roberts and his alleged £400k per annum wage bill can only help in that respect too.

ETA - Also, whilst I wouldn’t want to see rugby going to way of oikball in terms of sacking managers at the drop of a hat, I am inclined to think that both Quins and Saints have suffered from keeping the same management for far too long.

We should’ve had a proper new DoR last time, but the dead cat bounce of European rugby delayed it for a while.

Edited by Kermit power on Sunday 29th April 09:55

You'll get better

It's been a rocky year and your brains have been on the beach for a little while now.

[JonChalk]

Leins said:

So looks like Jackson and possibly Olding are going to Sale. No sign of Ulster signing a new 10 yet, with Carbery and Byrne seemingly staying put here at Leinster

Nope - Sale have slammed the door on that now.

[ooo000ooo]

JonChalk said:

Nope - Sale have slammed the door on that now.

At this rate they'll end up playing in the new north American rugby league.

[The Mad Monk]

RFU Twickenham is reducing the amount of plastic waste from 88 million tonnes in 2012 to 56 million tonnes in 2016.

I don't believe it!

How many people go to HQ each year? Shirley that's about 10 tonnes of plastic waste per person?

What do I have to say? Is it custard or something?

https://tinyurl.com/ydcobbj9

[irocfan]

Will Greenwood's "Premiership Team of the Year"

Interesting...

https://www.givemesport.com/1307122-will-greenwood...

[Kermit power]

irocfan said:

Will Greenwood's "Premiership Team of the Year"

Interesting...

https://www.givemesport.com/1307122-will-greenwood...

Definitely interesting that he's not chosen a single regularly starting international.