General Rugby Discussion II

Eod100

Looks like Pienaar will be joining Cheetahs alright.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/48941954

bilston

swiwi_ wrote: »

RIP James Small.

Anyone who was watching rugby in the 90s will remember this guy. Especially for SA at the 1995 RWC.

Only hearing this now. That was a real shock.

He makes me think of that era around the WC in SA and the '97 Lions tour.

Gone far far too young.

That's 4 players who played in the '95 RWC final who have now passed on in Lomu, Van Der Westhuizen, Reuben Kreuger and now James Small.

Burkie1203

3 former grenoble players including Coulson have been sent forward for trial

Dubinusa

Tadg McElroy released by Sarries.

Beauden Barret to Auckland Blues for 3 years

thomond2006

Dubinusa wrote: »

Tadg McElroy released by Sarries.

I assume he'll stay in the Championship? He was on the loan there last year. Maybe Leinster would have a look in a season or two when Cronin leaves.

errlloyd

thomond2006 wrote: »

I assume he'll stay in the Championship? He was on the loan there last year. Maybe Leinster would have a look in a season or two when Cronin leaves.

It sounds like he has serious discipline problems and a terrible relationship with the IRFU.

awec

Batrachotox wrote: »

Beauden Barret to Auckland Blues for 3 years

That's quite a move.

Exclamation Marc

Good interesting documentary by Rugby Pass on Nemani Nadolo. About thirty minutes long and well worth the watch.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/nadolo-the-documentary

dublinman1990

Any of you following the Six Nations will find this to be fantastic news.

The Six Nations board have decided at a board meeting in Dublin tonight that the tournament should remain on free to air television for the foreseeable future. They assessed the audience figures for this year's Women's World Cup & the Cricket World Cup over the lifetime of the entire tournaments. The board had decided, with a hardened resolve, that to maximize the potential audience of people watching the Six Nations; it will remain on mainstream FTA television for the foreseeable future.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/six-nations-just-made-game-16573072#ICID=Android_WalesOnlineNewsApp_AppShare

That would mean that wherever you watch the Six Nations tournament, particularly in the UK & Ireland, it will stay on FTA television for a considerably longer period of time whenever the rights contracts with the broadcasters here & in the UK expire & become renewed overtime. This decision is seen as a game-changer by the Six Nations board particularly when other sports are suffering with huge cuts in potential audience numbers when they are moved exclusively to pay TV channels here & in the UK. We heard news recently that the Cricket World Cup Final will be shown FTA on Channel 4 & More4 along with Sky Sports in the UK this Sunday. Also the audience for the FIFA Women's World Cup had hit record high audience numbers recently for the BBC in the UK. I have heard some reports that the FIFA Women's World Cup has hit very healthy audience numbers for RTÉ & TG4 where it was shown here in Ireland. Liberty Media have committed to having 3/4 of their race calendar on FTA television going into the future as audience have seen a sharp dip in numbers watching the races in the UK. Audience figures for The European Champions Cup have been very strong since it had made it's return to FTA at the beginning of last season on the back of it's current deal.

Having the Six Nations FTA for several more years here & in the UK will strengthen that resolve even more into the future.

irishbucsfan

If they ever did go to pay TV the government would list them anyway

sydthebeat

In other paltry rugby news... Fiji beat the maoiris 27-10 in Suva last night

sydthebeat

sydthebeat wrote: »

In other paltry rugby news... Fiji beat the maoiris 27-10 in Suva last night

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=BEqWYDeults

Some beautiful link play from the Fijians as ever

molloyjh

Some of that stuff is sheer rugby porn.

sydthebeat

Batrachotox wrote: »

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=BEqWYDeults

Some beautiful link play from the Fijians as ever

Beautiful stuff!!!

Akira ioane isn't going to do his fight for an AB's spot and good with some of those highlights

sydthebeat

https://www.the42.ie/world-rugby-scrum-law-axial-4725329-Jul2019/

WORLD RUGBY HAS confirmed an amendment to its law book that aims to end the dangerous practice of ‘axial loading’ at scrums.

Law 19.10 (b) reads: “The front-rows crouch with their heads to the left of their immediate opponents’, so that no player’s head is touching the neck or shoulders of an opponent.”

Squidgy Black

sydthebeat wrote: »

https://www.the42.ie/world-rugby-scrum-law-axial-4725329-Jul2019/

WORLD RUGBY HAS confirmed an amendment to its law book that aims to end the dangerous practice of ‘axial loading’ at scrums.

Law 19.10 (b) reads: “The front-rows crouch with their heads to the left of their immediate opponents’, so that no player’s head is touching the neck or shoulders of an opponent.”

I'm sure some of the old guard won't be happy with this, but it's a decent move in terms of player safety. Removes any hit at all and makes sure the players are engaged before the balls put in.

AbusesToilets

Surely they could avoid any of this and other scrum stability issues by going to a progressive engagement sequence? Front rows bind tightly, followed by 2nd row and backrow. Would make it easier for refs to see who is pushing early or backing off.

NeonWolf

James O Connor returns to the Wallabies! Raelene Castle sending out mixed signals with this one.

Cocaine = good , Bible passages = bad

NeonWolf

NeonWolf wrote: »

James O Connor returns to the Wallabies! Raelene Castle sending out mixed signals with this one.

Cocaine = good , Bible passages = bad

Can't believe Folau has come out and apologised for his actions and recanted his statements. I feel like I would have heard about that.

AdamD

Bible passages have probably caused more problems than cocaine :pac:

NeonWolf

Deleted User wrote: »

Can't believe Folau has come out and apologised for his actions and recanted his statements. I feel like I would have heard about that.

Only one of the two was arrested for a crime. I mean its all about the brand right? Thats the narrative they have been selling us.

Cocaine is far more dangerous than the perceived homophobia in my opinion . Id hate the young fans to think doing cocaine was ok.

Dog Botherer

NeonWolf wrote: »

Cocaine = good , Bible passages = bad

Correct.

uptherebels

NeonWolf wrote: »

Only one of the two was arrested for a crime. I mean its all about the brand right? Thats the narrative they have been selling us.

Cocaine is far more dangerous than the perceived homophobia in my opinion . Id hate the young fans to think doing cocaine was ok.

Perceived?

Christy42

NeonWolf wrote: »

James O Connor returns to the Wallabies! Raelene Castle sending out mixed signals with this one.

Cocaine = good , Bible passages = bad

Insulting others due to how they were born = bad

If that so in the bible than that is the Bibles problem.

I mean cocaine can mess you up but hey as long as he just messes himself up.

irishbucsfan

What Folau said isn't even in the bible

molloyjh

Deleted User wrote: »

NeonWolf wrote: »

James O Connor returns to the Wallabies! Raelene Castle sending out mixed signals with this one.

Cocaine = good , Bible passages = bad

Can't believe Folau has come out and apologised for his actions and recanted his statements. I feel like I would have heard about that.

This. Showing remorse and reforming = good. Of course that inconveniently gets in the way of the narrative being peddled here.

irishbucsfan

The Wallabies shouldn't go anywhere near O'Connor. He's an absolute liability. Its got nothing to do with Folau though.

Quin_Dub

irishbucsfan wrote: »

The Wallabies shouldn't go anywhere near O'Connor. He's an absolute liability. Its got nothing to do with Folau though.

To be fair to O'Connor he does seem to have sorted out his act and should be commended for that.

He got success very very young and the money and attention obviously got to him and he hit the booze and drugs hard.

He appears to have come out the other side , so fair play.

Having said that , he hasn't played anything like International standard in quite some time and probably shouldn't be making a WC squad..

Quin_Dub

Quin_Dub wrote: »

To be fair to O'Connor he does seem to have sorted out his act and should be commended for that.

He got success very very young and the money and attention obviously got to him and he hit the booze and drugs hard.

He appears to have come out the other side , so fair play.

Having said that , he hasn't played anything like International standard in quite some time and probably shouldn't be making a WC squad..

I'm not entirely sure he has to be honest, he still comes out with some mad stuff, albeit - no convictions in a while.

He arrived on the scene at a bad time, some really negative influences around him in Cooper and a few others. A more disciplined mature setup and he'd have been a world beater.