General rugby thread
Discussion
Kermit power said:
Ean218 said:
How 10 teams of getting on for 50 professional players, plus the rest of the staff, meeting up once a week for a maximum 15 games a season expect to make any money is beyond me. Without a pile of TV money or grants from the RFU the numbers cannot add up. Squad sizes need to come down, maybe get rid of all the subs, it would make the game more interesting too.
The only real hope is to let the Welsh and Scots teams into a pan-national league with more games that will mean more to both attending fans and television viewers. That would also keep a lid on travelling costs which must be killing the Welsh and Scots sides right now, as well as the fans.
I could see an Anglo-Welsh league certainly, but I'm not sure where the Scots would fit in? Few enough people can even be arsed to schlep up to Sale or Newcastle.The only real hope is to let the Welsh and Scots teams into a pan-national league with more games that will mean more to both attending fans and television viewers. That would also keep a lid on travelling costs which must be killing the Welsh and Scots sides right now, as well as the fans.
10 teams playing each other doesn't generate much interest, plus fewer fixtures so lower revenue. Teams below will want not to come up as they will never recover the investment.
Going back to the prem, the knockout cup (like the FA cup giving all teams a shot) and european rugby must surely be the way. England A (Saxons) needs to come back to in order to develop international players and coaches.
Going back to the prem, the knockout cup (like the FA cup giving all teams a shot) and european rugby must surely be the way. England A (Saxons) needs to come back to in order to develop international players and coaches.
Tom8 said:
10 teams playing each other doesn't generate much interest, plus fewer fixtures so lower revenue. Teams below will want not to come up as they will never recover the investment.
Going back to the prem, the knockout cup (like the FA cup giving all teams a shot) and european rugby must surely be the way. England A (Saxons) needs to come back to in order to develop international players and coaches.
Agreed that 10 isn't enough. Fourteen in an Anglo-Welsh league would be ideal.Going back to the prem, the knockout cup (like the FA cup giving all teams a shot) and european rugby must surely be the way. England A (Saxons) needs to come back to in order to develop international players and coaches.
An FA Cup equivalent in rugby simply isn't am option though. The Championship sides - with the honourable exception of Ealing - struggled somewhat in the Prem Rugby Cup this season, and that was playing against Prem B teams at best. If you started trying to involve National League teams, the results would be embarrassingly one sided, and there would be a serious risk of injuries.
As for England A, they are back! They're playing Portugal on Sunday, and it's being streamed on the RFU YouTube channel. Part of the challenge here is that not many of the Unions can afford to run an A team, but if those who can play more games against the likes of Portugal, that can only be good for rugby.
Not sure what you mean about the Prem playing European rugby though?
Kermit power said:
Agreed that 10 isn't enough. Fourteen in an Anglo-Welsh league would be ideal.
An FA Cup equivalent in rugby simply isn't am option though. The Championship sides - with the honourable exception of Ealing - struggled somewhat in the Prem Rugby Cup this season, and that was playing against Prem B teams at best. If you started trying to involve National League teams, the results would be embarrassingly one sided, and there would be a serious risk of injuries.
As for England A, they are back! They're playing Portugal on Sunday, and it's being streamed on the RFU YouTube channel. Part of the challenge here is that not many of the Unions can afford to run an A team, but if those who can play more games against the likes of Portugal, that can only be good for rugby.
Not sure what you mean about the Prem playing European rugby though?
England A are not playing Portugal this weekend. They're playing an invitational Portugal XV. Portugal are in the middle of the Rugby Europe Championship.An FA Cup equivalent in rugby simply isn't am option though. The Championship sides - with the honourable exception of Ealing - struggled somewhat in the Prem Rugby Cup this season, and that was playing against Prem B teams at best. If you started trying to involve National League teams, the results would be embarrassingly one sided, and there would be a serious risk of injuries.
As for England A, they are back! They're playing Portugal on Sunday, and it's being streamed on the RFU YouTube channel. Part of the challenge here is that not many of the Unions can afford to run an A team, but if those who can play more games against the likes of Portugal, that can only be good for rugby.
Not sure what you mean about the Prem playing European rugby though?
Incidentally all of the REC games can be live streamed or full replays watched later for free at https://www.rugbyeurope.eu/rugby-europe-tv/
Hill92 said:
England A are not playing Portugal this weekend. They're playing an invitational Portugal XV. Portugal are in the middle of the Rugby Europe Championship.
Incidentally all of the REC games can be live streamed or full replays watched later for free at https://www.rugbyeurope.eu/rugby-europe-tv/
Fair enough, but England A are still playing, and they haven't reverted to that stupid bloody "Saxons" moniker! Incidentally all of the REC games can be live streamed or full replays watched later for free at https://www.rugbyeurope.eu/rugby-europe-tv/
DodgyGeezer said:
He didn't ground the ball.Alickadoo said:
DodgyGeezer said:
He didn't ground the ball.Anyone else watch the England A v Portugal game yesterday? I was there, with the best seat I have ever had, right on the half way line, and pretty close to the touchline.
My thoughts: Apparently the England coach, with fairly little time to prep the team, had given the players licence to go out and play how they want... Now, OK, the Portuguese side were valiant but not daunting opposition, but the England boys ran riot. I would love to see a main England team play with as much daring as this crop did.
Best players from my perspective: Pepper and Pearson in the back row were constantly causing trouble, Baxter and Heyes also looked strong. Tuima will make a great ball carrier (i hope!). In the backs, Murley made a big statement. He caught a Portuguese kick in mid air, well over the touch line and pushed it back into play, made it look like child's play. Josh Hodge looked superb at 15, but admittedly, this was not a stern test of a fullback. Lastly, Ojomoh looked like he might, just maybe, be the answer for the 12 shirt in years to come.
All in all, a game that hugely cheered me up after Saturday's error-strewn showing...!
My thoughts: Apparently the England coach, with fairly little time to prep the team, had given the players licence to go out and play how they want... Now, OK, the Portuguese side were valiant but not daunting opposition, but the England boys ran riot. I would love to see a main England team play with as much daring as this crop did.
Best players from my perspective: Pepper and Pearson in the back row were constantly causing trouble, Baxter and Heyes also looked strong. Tuima will make a great ball carrier (i hope!). In the backs, Murley made a big statement. He caught a Portuguese kick in mid air, well over the touch line and pushed it back into play, made it look like child's play. Josh Hodge looked superb at 15, but admittedly, this was not a stern test of a fullback. Lastly, Ojomoh looked like he might, just maybe, be the answer for the 12 shirt in years to come.
All in all, a game that hugely cheered me up after Saturday's error-strewn showing...!
W211 said:
Anyone else watch the England A v Portugal game yesterday? I was there, with the best seat I have ever had, right on the half way line, and pretty close to the touchline.
My thoughts: Apparently the England coach, with fairly little time to prep the team, had given the players licence to go out and play how they want... Now, OK, the Portuguese side were valiant but not daunting opposition, but the England boys ran riot. I would love to see a main England team play with as much daring as this crop did.
Best players from my perspective: Pepper and Pearson in the back row were constantly causing trouble, Baxter and Heyes also looked strong. Tuima will make a great ball carrier (i hope!). In the backs, Murley made a big statement. He caught a Portuguese kick in mid air, well over the touch line and pushed it back into play, made it look like child's play. Josh Hodge looked superb at 15, but admittedly, this was not a stern test of a fullback. Lastly, Ojomoh looked like he might, just maybe, be the answer for the 12 shirt in years to come.
All in all, a game that hugely cheered me up after Saturday's error-strewn showing...!
I watched the majority of this on the train on my way back from Edinburgh having watched the first team at Murrayfield the night before. It has to be viewed in the context of the opposition i.e. not a first XV for Portugal but one thing that struck me was how they played with a fluidity and demonstrated basic skills lacking in the first team with less than a week together? There was more space than in a full blooded international and the physical mis match was there to be seen and Portugal were falling off tackles. Agree on Max Ojomoh, butchered try aside I think he's got bag of potential and he'll be 24 this year. A couple more look ready for the first team others maybe in a year or two. After England's showing against Scotland I'd rather it was the former and just get the kids in and get them experience. Guy Pepper looks a hell of a player-he's huge for a 20 year old and will move to Bath so will hopefully get more recognition than in a poor Newcastle side.My thoughts: Apparently the England coach, with fairly little time to prep the team, had given the players licence to go out and play how they want... Now, OK, the Portuguese side were valiant but not daunting opposition, but the England boys ran riot. I would love to see a main England team play with as much daring as this crop did.
Best players from my perspective: Pepper and Pearson in the back row were constantly causing trouble, Baxter and Heyes also looked strong. Tuima will make a great ball carrier (i hope!). In the backs, Murley made a big statement. He caught a Portuguese kick in mid air, well over the touch line and pushed it back into play, made it look like child's play. Josh Hodge looked superb at 15, but admittedly, this was not a stern test of a fullback. Lastly, Ojomoh looked like he might, just maybe, be the answer for the 12 shirt in years to come.
All in all, a game that hugely cheered me up after Saturday's error-strewn showing...!
Overall glad to see the Saxon's/A team get going again. There needs to be a pathway to plug the gap between U20's and the senior side, if this is peppered with more experience prospects then that's not an issue. Apparently Borthwick picked the 23 and the goal was to play in a style like the first team but with the lack of handling errorrs I'm not sure how succesful that was.....
W211 said:
Anyone else watch the England A v Portugal game yesterday? I was there, with the best seat I have ever had, right on the half way line, and pretty close to the touchline.
My thoughts: Apparently the England coach, with fairly little time to prep the team, had given the players licence to go out and play how they want... Now, OK, the Portuguese side were valiant but not daunting opposition, but the England boys ran riot. I would love to see a main England team play with as much daring as this crop did.
Best players from my perspective: Pepper and Pearson in the back row were constantly causing trouble, Baxter and Heyes also looked strong. Tuima will make a great ball carrier (i hope!). In the backs, Murley made a big statement. He caught a Portuguese kick in mid air, well over the touch line and pushed it back into play, made it look like child's play. Josh Hodge looked superb at 15, but admittedly, this was not a stern test of a fullback. Lastly, Ojomoh looked like he might, just maybe, be the answer for the 12 shirt in years to come.
All in all, a game that hugely cheered me up after Saturday's error-strewn showing...!
No Quins supporter can understand how Murley isn't already nailed on as a starter for England!My thoughts: Apparently the England coach, with fairly little time to prep the team, had given the players licence to go out and play how they want... Now, OK, the Portuguese side were valiant but not daunting opposition, but the England boys ran riot. I would love to see a main England team play with as much daring as this crop did.
Best players from my perspective: Pepper and Pearson in the back row were constantly causing trouble, Baxter and Heyes also looked strong. Tuima will make a great ball carrier (i hope!). In the backs, Murley made a big statement. He caught a Portuguese kick in mid air, well over the touch line and pushed it back into play, made it look like child's play. Josh Hodge looked superb at 15, but admittedly, this was not a stern test of a fullback. Lastly, Ojomoh looked like he might, just maybe, be the answer for the 12 shirt in years to come.
All in all, a game that hugely cheered me up after Saturday's error-strewn showing...!
As for Fin Baxter... No 12yr old should be able to boss a scrum like he does!
Kermit power said:
Alickadoo said:
DodgyGeezer said:
He didn't ground the ball.Kermit power said:
No Quins supporter can understand how Murley isn't already nailed on as a starter for England!
As for Fin Baxter... No 12yr old should be able to boss a scrum like he does!
From where I was sitting, the England A passing looked superb... way in front of what we saw on Saturday from the seniors.As for Fin Baxter... No 12yr old should be able to boss a scrum like he does!
Bullet after bullet, spitting across the back line, with only a small handful of errors (insert here comment about the slight lack of opposition pressure to bu99er things up)
Agree on Murley and young Fin
- A few more years in the front row and he will look 50 like the rest of them do. I am an armchair Quins fan and occasional visitor to the Stoop. Two of many fine young players in the ranks.
W211 said:
Kermit power said:
No Quins supporter can understand how Murley isn't already nailed on as a starter for England!
As for Fin Baxter... No 12yr old should be able to boss a scrum like he does!
From where I was sitting, the England A passing looked superb... way in front of what we saw on Saturday from the seniors.As for Fin Baxter... No 12yr old should be able to boss a scrum like he does!
Bullet after bullet, spitting across the back line, with only a small handful of errors (insert here comment about the slight lack of opposition pressure to bu99er things up)
Agree on Murley and young Fin
- A few more years in the front row and he will look 50 like the rest of them do. I am an armchair Quins fan and occasional visitor to the Stoop. Two of many fine young players in the ranks.
W211 said:
Kermit power said:
No Quins supporter can understand how Murley isn't already nailed on as a starter for England!
As for Fin Baxter... No 12yr old should be able to boss a scrum like he does!
From where I was sitting, the England A passing looked superb... way in front of what we saw on Saturday from the seniors.As for Fin Baxter... No 12yr old should be able to boss a scrum like he does!
Bullet after bullet, spitting across the back line, with only a small handful of errors (insert here comment about the slight lack of opposition pressure to bu99er things up)
Agree on Murley and young Fin
- A few more years in the front row and he will look 50 like the rest of them do. I am an armchair Quins fan and occasional visitor to the Stoop. Two of many fine young players in the ranks.
Gassing Station | Sports | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff