General Rugby Discussion II

molloyjh

Apparently Kruis is off too.....

molloyjh

Buer wrote: »

Is Clark available? He's played 7 minutes since November. Guys like Rhodes and Figallo haven't played at all this season. I would think they're looking to terminate guys who are going to be hardly available for them regardless.

No idea re Clarke tbh. I havent really been following the Premiership with any great conviction this season. But he was playing regularly for them during the RWC IIRC. Which I might not...

AdamD

Has Rhodes not typically been a regular in their back row in previous seasons?

Dara93

AdamD wrote: »

Has Rhodes not typically been a regular in their back row in previous seasons?

He was, Earl broke through the end of last season and Billy V has actually been fit. There just isn't much need for him in the starting side. That being said if they are releasing himself and Clarke it's leaving them very thin in the back row for the 6N.

lawrencesummers

This could actually really effect the national side, if players are not willing to take a cut then the only way they may be able to continue to earn what they are on is by going abroad, clubs in the premiership surely won’t be able to squeeze any top names into their side for the current season, thereby making them ineligible for England. Kruis is off to japan according to some reports.

Clegg

molloyjh wrote: »

Apparently Kruis is off too.....

To Japan according to RugbyPass. I'm a bit surprised by that. He's a good player still and would've commanded a good wage from most English and French clubs. That rules him out of playing for England in the short term I guess.

hahashake

Clegg wrote: »

To Japan according to RugbyPass. I'm a bit surprised by that. He's a good player still and would've commanded a good wage from most English and French clubs. That rules him out of playing for England in the short term I guess.

Surprised they pay that much or surprised he would choose Japan?

They pay very well for marquee type players - plenty of current and former ABs, Wallabies and Boks have gone there. Much shorter season too.

lawrencesummers

hahashake wrote: »

Surprised they pay that much or surprised he would choose Japan?

They pay very well for marquee type players - plenty of current and former ABs, Wallabies and Boks have gone there. Much shorter season too.

It’s also far less of a physical toll on him for the next two years, new culture, cool
Place and back in plenty of time to challenge for a RWC squad place in France

Clegg

Paul Williams is a rugby journalist. I don't know for certain who was threatening him, but I think we all have a fairly good idea of who it probably was.

https://twitter.com/thepaulwilliams/status/1215027383444672513?s=19

Squidgy Black

Said individual surely has to have been on Wray's books the way he epitomises him.

He had a full column praising him the other day, stating how Wray was one of the best men in rugby and has achieved far more than his critics ever will etc.

Bazzo

Clegg wrote: »

Paul Williams is a rugby journalist. I don't know for certain who. I don't know for certain who was threatening him, but I think we all have a fairly good idea of who it probably was.

https://twitter.com/thepaulwilliams/status/1215027383444672513?s=19

I follow him on Twitter actually, one of the few rugby journalists I don't mind.

irishbucsfan

Jones has gone completely insane at this stage

awec

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Jones has gone completely insane at this stage

Rather than hold his hands up he just keeps digging.

Podge_irl

Clegg wrote: »

Paul Williams is a rugby journalist. I don't know for certain who was threatening him, but I think we all have a fairly good idea of who it probably was.

https://twitter.com/thepaulwilliams/status/1215027383444672513?s=19

It was indeed Jones and there is no need to be coy - he did it on Twitter. He has completely lost it over this issue.

sydthebeat

His outburst on the podcast with dallaglio and slot (5 live?) was a thing to behold....

(Edit : the ruck podcast, as per below)

Complete and utter delusion from a clearly biased and sycophantic Jones.

And he continued that in his latest times piece on Wray

thomond2006

Podge_irl wrote: »

It was indeed Jones and there is no need to be coy - he did it on Twitter. He has completely lost it over this issue.

Did he delete the tweets afterwards?

He's either lost it or in Wray's pocket or both.

aloooof

sydthebeat wrote: »

His outburst on the podcast with dallaglio and slot (5 live?) was a thing to behold.... Complete and utter delusion from a clearly biased and sycophantic Jones.

And he continued that in his latest times piece on Wray

In case anyone hasn't heard it, it's well worth a listen:

https://twitter.com/_TomClarke/status/1199058291072131073

razorblunt

Bazzo wrote: »

I follow him on Twitter actually, one of the few rugby journalists I don't mind.

He's blocked me, no idea why, never interacted with him!

Podge_irl

thomond2006 wrote: »

Did he delete the tweets afterwards?

He's either lost it or in Wray's pocket or both.

https://twitter.com/stephenjones9/status/1196723579443929088?s=20

It was a reply to Williams. He's off the reservation on this one.

stephen_n

Stephen Jones seems to have gone full Jeremy Clarkson with Greta Thunberg on this. Quite bizzare.

thomond2006

He's off calling people dickheads again on Twitter.

ionadnapokot

The big man on the big salary coming in telling those useless lot how it’s done.

"I’m aware that I’m not out on the field yet. I have stated that, but the onus is on us. We are professionals, this is what we are paid to do and we must do it to the best of our ability.

"I might have said it with a bit more of a tone than that."
https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2020/0108/1105198-obrien-on-leinster-envy-and-rattling-new-team-mates/

I like O’Brien but if I was in that dressing room I would be thinking STFU - you haven’t even played a minute for this club....and maybe 30 matches in 4 years.
Let’s see if you can manage to walk over the whitewash, and see if you can still play a few games and THEN talk.

Talk is cheap. And your past is the past.

awec

ionadnapokot wrote: »

The big man on the big salary coming in telling those useless lot how it’s done.

"I’m aware that I’m not out on the field yet. I have stated that, but the onus is on us. We are professionals, this is what we are paid to do and we must do it to the best of our ability.

"I might have said it with a bit more of a tone than that."
https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2020/0108/1105198-obrien-on-leinster-envy-and-rattling-new-team-mates/

I like O’Brien but if I was in that dressing room I would be thinking STFU - you haven’t even played a minute for this club....and maybe 30 matches in 4 years.
Let’s see if you can manage to walk over the whitewash, and see if you can still play a few games and THEN talk.

Talk is cheap. And your past is the past.

When I read that interview earlier I thought the same thing to be honest.

Not gonna lie though - when he's named on a team sheet I'm probably going to watch the game!

Exclamation Marc

awec wrote: »

When I read that interview earlier I thought the same thing to be honest.

Agreed. I do like the guy as a player but nobody likes a Billy Big Boll0cks who hasn't played consistently for years, telling others how they should be doing it. His professionalism as well was called into question at the end of last year.

So it's all a bit rich and as said, he should walk the walk before he talks the talk.

Former Former

You could read the interview slightly differently and it looks like the coaches want him to be a big personality in the squad;

I knew the challenge I was walking in to and what the coaches wanted me to try and do

If he was doing nothing except rehabbing and collecting his salary, would that be better?

I dunno. His popularity among Irish fans has absolutely plummeted. It's a shame.

Quin_Dub

Former Former wrote: »

You could read the interview slightly differently and it looks like the coaches want him to be a big personality in the squad;



If he was doing nothing except rehabbing and collecting his salary, would that be better?

I dunno. His popularity among Irish fans has absolutely plummeted. It's a shame.

Urinating on one of them in a bar as a "joke" probably didn't help I'd say.

awec

Former Former wrote: »

You could read the interview slightly differently and it looks like the coaches want him to be a big personality in the squad;



If he was doing nothing except rehabbing and collecting his salary, would that be better?

I dunno. His popularity among Irish fans has absolutely plummeted. It's a shame.

I think it's a bit of an out of sight, out of mind type thing. A lot of his big moments came years ago.

Quin_Dub

Quin_Dub wrote: »

Urinating on one of them in a bar as a "joke" probably didn't help I'd say.

I've other reasons to dislike him based on stories I know to be true but we don't really know fully what happened on that occasion. Seemed like a lot of arse holes involved tbh.

I wouldn't read much into that article personally, doubt his teammates will and they certainly won't if he helps keep them in the prem.

DelBoy Trotter

Former Former wrote: »

You could read the interview slightly differently and it looks like the coaches want him to be a big personality in the squad;



If he was doing nothing except rehabbing and collecting his salary, would that be better?

That's exactly how I read it too. He is probably past his best, but getting him into the club has meant London Irish can tap into his experience