General Rugby Discussion

CatFromHue

I saw a comic in The Times today which put it well.

Is Twickenham big enough to hold Mourinho's ego tho

English Lurker

errlloyd wrote: »

Twickenham have been approached by Chelsea FC to use the Stadium for the 2016-2017 season apparently.

I did occur to me today as slightly mad that Twickers only hosts a handful of games a years. (Like 6 England games, a Barbarians Game, Army v Navy and I guess about 5 club games).

Anyway, it'd be good money for the RFU.

Believe the borough council has previously blocked moves to play more games at Twickenham due to residents' concerns.

former legend

Andrew Sheridan has had to retire. No great surprise there I suppose.

thomond2006

former legend wrote: »

Andrew Sheridan has had to retire. No great surprise there I suppose.

He was awesome in his one full season at Toulon. He relegated Gethin Jenkins to the bench from the off and Jenkins never got close to displacing him.

DGRulz

Lancaster and coaches extend their contracts to 2020.

https://mobile.twitter.com/EnglandRugby/status/517232292864200704

awec

2020 is a very long time, even if they are doing well.

.ak

Woah. A 7 year contract? Surely that's the longest given?

awec

Newcastle United fans will read that and weep.

irishbucsfan

That's serious job security! I suppose it takes them through just one more world cup cycle. Maybe they'll have a break clause in there at some point?

WTO

awec wrote: »

2020 is a very long time, even if they are doing well.

Intersting times if England don't make it out of pool A...

sydneybound

Reminds me the EOS deal before the 2007 World Cup

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/2320086/Ireland-coach-OSullivan-signs-new-deal.html

Madness if you ask me. What happens if England do not make it out of the group stages at a home world cup....

molloyjh

I'm a big fan of Lancaster, but this is a mad contract length. When was the last time any international coach got that?

But I reckon they are definite contenders for the title next year. They are building nicely, have a great environment and will be at home. They'll get out of that pool too. Wales aren't going to beat them in Twickenham even if Australia do. And I'm not convinced that Australia will at all. Top the pool and they'll have a handy QF. In fact I think we'll meet them in the SF with the final being England-NZ.

I wonder is there a break clause depending on the RWC result?

bilston

Everything is rosy enough for england at the minute but as we know only too well in Ireland they should have waited until after the WC to offer him a new deal.

Which begs the question how long is Joe's contract with us? Does it run to after the 2016 6Ns?

bilston

bilston wrote: »

Everything is rosy enough for england at the minute but as we know only too well in Ireland they should have waited until after the WC to offer him a new deal.

Which begs the question how long is Joe's contract with us? Does it run to after the 2016 6Ns?

Yeah I think so.

It's a calculated risk for England. If they go win the RWC (which is actually possible) his potential salary probably skyrockets. By signing him up now they are deciding it's worth it considering the upward curve he's had England on, he's a progressive coach, and I think it's good business for the RFU.

molloyjh wrote: »

I'm a big fan of Lancaster, but this is a mad contract length. When was the last time any international coach got that?

Gatland at Wales, got a 6 year extension last year I think.

awec

It could be a way to try and keep the salary down.

English Lurker

I'm of the opinion that's a very long contract for a coaching team that so far has won zilch of great importance and, while I don't want to write Lancaster off, I'm deeply ambivalent about this move at best.

Tox56

England right now remind me of Ulster recently, they play some great stuff and have had some very good results, but they haven't won anything. You think they surely will eventually but Ulster never did. Ireland have the favourable 6N schedule next season and if England don't win that the pressure will grow, if GOD FORBID they go out in the QF/SF of the WC, the feeling on Lancaster will turn, and this contract will look silly

sydneybound

Who said the WRU are idiots? They profited another decent profit for this year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-29435833

By 2021 they'll have the stadium paid off, when they happens the bucks will really be rolling in...

sydneybound

sydneybound wrote: »

Who said the WRU are idiots? They profited another decent profit for this year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-29435833

By 2021 they'll have the stadium paid off, when they happens the bucks will really be rolling in...

They've been turning things around financially for a while now, it's the relationship between the union and the clubs that has been a complete disaster.

Podge_irl

sydneybound wrote: »

Who said the WRU are idiots? They profited another decent profit for this year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-29435833

By 2021 they'll have the stadium paid off, when they happens the bucks will really be rolling in...

The regions. And they have a point.

They may be making a profit and paying of the stadium but its coming at the cost of crippling the regions and that's going to have long term effects.

nc6000

Not looking good for Kurtley Beale. He was involved in an incident on a flight on Sunday from Jo'burg to South America and has been sent back to Australia.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/oct/01/kurtley-beale-investigated-flight-south-america-australia

WTO

nc6000 wrote: »

Not looking good for Kurtley Beale. He was involved in an incident on a flight on Sunday from Jo'burg to South America and has been sent back to Australia.

Did u read the article?

I don't think you'll find that Beale has been sent home...

sydthebeat

lads, any suggestions on head guards?

ill probably be playing most 6 / 7 this year for my sins, and already in our first game i ended up getting a couple of stitches.
so im going to start wearing a head guard and i need advice as to what type as there seems to be loads of different shapes and types out there.

what are good features, what are bad features etc

ill probably get one from either eleverys, lifestyle or lovell if that helps

Teferi

I've always thought the different shapes and types are much of a muchness. I prefer the honeycomb type that Canterbury have been going with the last few years but any will do. Just try a few on and find which is most comfortable. I find the two things to look out for are ear protection/comfort and how the strap fits.

GiftofGab

nc6000 wrote: »

Not looking good for Kurtley Beale. He was involved in an incident on a flight on Sunday from Jo'burg to South America and has been sent back to Australia.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/oct/01/kurtley-beale-investigated-flight-south-america-australia

This guy somehow always seems to find himself in trouble.

He seems like a nightmare to deal with.

Morf

sydthebeat wrote: »

lads, any suggestions on head guards?

ill probably be playing most 6 / 7 this year for my sins, and already in our first game i ended up getting a couple of stitches.
so im going to start wearing a head guard and i need advice as to what type as there seems to be loads of different shapes and types out there.

what are good features, what are bad features etc

ill probably get one from either eleverys, lifestyle or lovell if that helps

CCC Ventilator served me well.

sydthebeat

Great game this morning in the itm between north harbour and northland.

Ended 58 - 27 to northland.

The two pryors for northland look some players at 6 and 7 and I'm looking forward to seeing dan pryor with the Highlanders next season.

Winters

Midlands Wasps becoming more of a reality than a rumour.

http://www.espn.co.uk/premiership-2014-15/rugby/story/243175.html

Ah well I suppose if you are a Wasps fan you could always just go to Twyford Avenie for your match day fix.

sydneybound

Winters wrote: »

Midlands Wasps becoming more of a reality than a rumour.

http://www.espn.co.uk/premiership-2014-15/rugby/story/243175.html

Ah well I suppose if you are a Wasps fan you could always just go to Twyford Avenie for your match day fix.

Very interesting but lets be real here it was always on the cards and the moment they dropped 'London' from their name it was going to happen.

What gets me is that Coventry Council are selling the stadium for £100 million as Wasps are reported putting up £90 million for at least a 90%. Is the stadium worth near that much??

Where are Wasps getting all this money? Richardson sold his stake in 123.ie for £35 million but I didn't think he could command near £100 Million.

Its a pity for the club has left London a bif catchment area but I suppose they left along time ago really out in Wycombe.

On a side note I'm not suprised Coventry Council are so willing to sell they've had awful trouble with Coventry FC (in which Coventry moved their home games to Northampton, crazy!) over that stadium as I'd say they want shot ASAP.

EDIT - This link says £30 million which is about right if you ask me...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/premiership/11137539/Wasps-close-in-on-30m-deal-to-take-over-Ricoh-Arena-and-move-to-Coventry.html

bilston

sydthebeat wrote: »

Great game this morning in the itm between north harbour and northland.

Ended 58 - 27 to northland.

The two pryors for northland look some players at 6 and 7 and I'm looking forward to seeing dan pryor with the Highlanders next season.

Watched that myself. Some very high skills on show.

Yeah_Right

sydthebeat wrote: »

Great game this morning in the itm between north harbour and northland.

Ended 58 - 27 to northland.

The two pryors for northland look some players at 6 and 7 and I'm looking forward to seeing dan pryor with the Highlanders next season.

As a Harbour fan, that is very upsetting. Northland only led 20-15 at HT. Must have been some second half.

And rumour has it that Rene Ranger is trying to get out of his French contract to head back home next year.

nc6000

WTO wrote: »

Did u read the article?

I don't think you'll find that Beale has been sent home...

Yes, I read the article! I presumed that the "member of staff" they referred to was Beale himself.

sydthebeat

Yeah_Right wrote: »

As a Harbour fan, that is very upsetting. Northland only led 20-15 at HT. Must have been some second half.

And rumour has it that Rene Ranger is trying to get out of his French contract to head back home next year.

Your outside defending let you down... apart from li, there was way too many slipped tackles by your backs. That being said, all the moves were class and your own four tries were excellent to.

English Lurker

sydneybound wrote: »

Its a pity for the club has left London a bif catchment area but I suppose they left along time ago really out in Wycombe.

They hadn't. There's still plenty of Wasps fans in London - or at least there were. It's only a short train ride out of Marylebone, and it was sold as a temporary move to begin with. There was a lot of hope and happiness when people talked about them moving into Griffin Park - I'd have become a Wasps fan if they had.

If they go through with this, I don't see a lot of those fans following the club even further away from London. And I don't see them getting a lot of fans in Coventry either. Worcester, Leicester and Northampton have all been staking their claim for a long time. Worcester just opened a regional academy there. People who want to watch Premiership rugby have well established loyalties. People who want to watch Coventry rugby already watch Coventry and I don't think they'll be persuaded that Wasps are from Coventry. They're from London, and they're fooling no one, and they're alienating a lot of the people involved.

The training ground will stay in London. The academy will stay in London. The players will commute to Coventry for a game every other week and that's it. How are they going to build a fanbase like that?

I don't know what they see in this to be honest. I don't think they have the fanbase to make this profitable for a long time. They'll sound awful rattling around in a 32k seater stadium. I know moving stadiums into London is an epic ballsache, but it's doable. I can't see this ending in anything other than failure and, frankly, I hope it does.

matthew8

Things are getting embarrassing for Leicester. 33-9 down to Gloucester.

CatFromHue

Finished 33-16. I', hugely familiar with Leicester but that didn't look like a bad team they'd out.

Quins put 52 on London Welsh too.

Buer

LW results are now:

52-0
10-46
46-8
53-26
0-52

All defeats, of course.

sydthebeat

Buer wrote: »

LW results are now:

52-0
10-46
46-8
53-26
0-52

All defeats, of course.

Totally embarrassing

Why are they so bad? I haven't been following Premiership at all

Deano7788

Deleted User wrote: »

Why are they so bad? I haven't been following Premiership at all

London Welsh?

They only got promotion very late after beating Bristol in the playoff, who had been expected to go up. They only started recruiting after that, so most players of a high enough quality were already signed to other teams. They also let a lot of their promotion team go, so there's been no stability and continuity either.

thomond2006

Deano7788 wrote: »

London Welsh?

They only got promotion very late after beating Bristol in the playoff, who had been expected to go up. They only started recruiting after that, so most players of a high enough quality were already signed to other teams. They also let a lot of their promotion team go, so there's been no stability and continuity either.

When one of your 'marquee' signings is Olly Barkley you know you're in trouble!

sydneybound

Buer wrote: »

LW results are now:

52-0
10-46
46-8
53-26
0-52

All defeats, of course.

No easy games in the premiership.

Fireball07

sydneybound wrote: »

No easy games in the premiership.

Well, there aren't any for London Welsh anyway.

sydneybound

Decent game on now on sky sports 2 London Scottish V Plymouth. LS have a beast of a 8 who has scored something like 7 tries already this season and didn't play last week!

matthew8

Newcastle won today so if Welsh lose home to them next week it already looks like there will be no way back whatsoever.

irishbucsfan

There's no way back for Welsh either way. Unless a huge miracle happens, or the laws of physics are inverted on the planet of earth, they will be going straight down. I really hope they have those journeymen on one year deals.

sydneybound

A bit more chat recently that Championship clubs wanting to leave the RFU fold due to lack of funding and go it their own way.

Also chat about the SRU taking over London Scottish (or giving money to them) and join the Pro12 (13!) in last weeks rugby paper.

irishbucsfan

sydneybound wrote: »

A bit more chat recently that Championship clubs wanting to leave the RFU fold due to lack of funding and go it their own way.

Also chat about the SRU taking over London Scottish (or giving money to them) and join the Pro12 (13!) in last weeks rugby paper.

I think eventually in England we'll see PRL take on Championship clubs as well. But they won't be getting much more funding out of them really I can't imagine, it's not like they'll be revenue sharing. I don't know what funding is like for ProD2 clubs.

If the SRU take over a club in London I can only imagine how insulted Borders rugby fans will feel!

sydneybound

sydneybound wrote: »

No easy games in the premiership.

Exeter Chiefs hooker Elvis Taione agrees in this week's regurgitation

They've also been involved in Europe and they're pushing for the top now but (upsets) have been happening in the Premiership and there are no easy games.

sydneybound

Wasps confirmed move to Coventry

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-29522770

All said and done I reckon its a good move. At Adams Park they were only able to get between 5,000-7,000 which is piss poor for the Prem. Hopefully in Coventry its 10,000 plus.

The train from London is only an hour and they are building a new train station right outside the stadium so it should be really handy.