The Rugby Thread

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PeteC
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Re: The Rugby Thread

Post by PeteC »

I think Exeter has a real chance on Saturday, but they have to contain Fife. I also see so many games in all leagues being lost by 2-4-6 points, and the kicker has missed 1-2-3 extra point attempts and/or penalty kicks. I don't remember the Exeter kicker at all from last week. Maybe they had few or no goal attempts in the second half while I was watching, I don't recall. I do remember the outstanding kicking of Gopperth of the Wasps, great display throughout.

This has the makings of a Cinderella story given Exeter's history if they can pull off a win. Pete :cheers:
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Re: The Rugby Thread

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^ No clue why I typed Fife above....meant Ashton.
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Re: The Rugby Thread

Post by dtaai-maai »

Exeter have to contain a heck of a lot more than Ashton. They have done very well, but I think that is partly down to losing fewer key players during the 6 Nations (haven't researched that, so it may not be true).
Saracens are too strong - they hammered Racing in the Euro Cup final 2 weeks ago and they hammered Northampton at the weekend. 2 very different games in very different conditions.

I think they'll hammer Exeter as well.
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Re: The Rugby Thread

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Have never liked Chris Ashton - undoubted talent, but a very poor attitude IMHO. Seems Eddie Jones also has concerns over his defensive qualities as he drops him from the England squad touring Australia next month.

Saracens are certainly an extremely strong side, but I'm hoping for an Exeter win however unlikely it seems (Saracens 2/9 and they did the double over Exeter in the league). Unfortunately, I'm not going to get to see it as I'll be travelling :cry:

:cheers: :cheers:
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Re: The Rugby Thread

Post by PeteC »

^ It's on live stream per below Pharvey. Perhaps you can get it on your smartphone, or in the aircraft if they have wi-fi etc. Pete

http://sport.bt.com/rugby-union-hub/rug ... 4063877997
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Re: The Rugby Thread

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^ Thanks for that Pete, but doubt I'll have Internet - on a mine site in Lubumbashi... :cry:

Congrats to Bristol RFC who won promotion to the Premiership last night. Actually lost on the night against Doncaster, but take the title 60-40 on aggregate over the two matches. :thumb:

Will be great to see the local Bristol vs Bath derby again. Question now though is can they stay up?

:cheers: :cheers:
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Re: The Rugby Thread

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Thomas "The Tank" is not going to be playing in this week's final - out with a knee injury for up to 3 months.

http://www.planetrugby.com/news/waldrom ... hip-final/
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Re: The Rugby Thread

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Oh my. :( He seemed fine at the end of the second half in terms of running and walking. Must be something that worsened after the game. As the article says, he's not a happy man. Real team player. Pete :cheers:
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Re: The Rugby Thread

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Can only be good for the game IMHO.... :thumb:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugb ... e-11385550

:cheers: :cheers:
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Re: The Rugby Thread

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pharvey wrote:^ Thanks for that Pete, but doubt I'll have Internet - on a mine site in Lubumbashi... :cry:

Congrats to Bristol RFC who won promotion to the Premiership last night. Actually lost on the night against Doncaster, but take the title 60-40 on aggregate over the two matches. :thumb:

Will be great to see the local Bristol vs Bath derby again. Question now though is can they stay up?

:cheers: :cheers:
I always remember the "West Country derbies" Bristol v Bath as being largely forward battles in the mud.
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Re: The Rugby Thread

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arcadianagain wrote:I always remember the "West Country derbies" Bristol v Bath as being largely forward battles in the mud.
There's certainly been some "forward battles", but certainly not always.... When I first started watching Bath, you had the likes of Swift, Haliday, Trevaskis a very young Guscott - basically, a fantastic and exciting back line. There was also a fantastic pack - John Hall, Paul Simpson and a very underrated Roger Spurrel in the back-row.

I think they won something like 10 Championships on the trot - back in the days of "Amateur Rugby"!!

:cheers: :cheers:
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Re: The Rugby Thread

Post by Big Boy »

LOL - I remember some of those names from the Bog Island Club when I was at college there, and they were always in there - crazy days :oops:
Championship Plymouth Argyle 1 - 2 Leeds Utd :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

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Re: The Rugby Thread

Post by arcadianagain »

pharvey wrote:
arcadianagain wrote:I always remember the "West Country derbies" Bristol v Bath as being largely forward battles in the mud.
There's certainly been some "forward battles", but certainly not always.... When I first started watching Bath, you had the likes of Swift, Haliday, Trevaskis a very young Guscott - basically, a fantastic and exciting back line. There was also a fantastic pack - John Hall, Paul Simpson and a very underrated Roger Spurrel in the back-row.

I think they won something like 10 Championships on the trot - back in the days of "Amateur Rugby"!!

:cheers: :cheers:
Sadly for me Pharvey my memory goes back a bit further, the stars of England that I remember, Marks and Curry, two second rowers, (called locks back then) were called giants at around 6`2", Richard Sharpe, no 10, Dickie Jeeps Bob Hiller and many more. Incidentally my first pair of rugby boots had a Bledyn Williams signature on them. :cheers:
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Re: The Rugby Thread

Post by PeteC »

pharvey wrote:......As an aside I've just had another Yellow Fever jab and feel like absolute cr@p!!
As coincidence would have it, read an article just this morning that it's getting severe in the Congo after jumping from Angola. I would say a good thing you got the jabs. Let us know if you find some internet. Pete :cheers:
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Re: The Rugby Thread

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Surprising calls in All Blacks squad

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/ar ... d=11646963

( Links to each player: http://www.allblacks.com/News/29236/all ... ger-series )

The 2016 All Blacks squad has been named:

All Blacks squad to face Wales:
Forwards
Hookers


Dane Coles (Wellington, 36 Tests)
Codie Taylor (Canterbury, four Tests)
Nathan Harris (Bay of Plenty, two Tests)

Props

Wyatt Crockett (Canterbury, 45 Tests)
Charlie Faumuina (Auckland, 33 Tests)
Owen Franks (Canterbury, 78 Tests)
Joe Moody (Canterbury, 11 Tests)
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Auckland, new cap)

Locks

Brodie Retallick (Hawke's Bay, 47 Tests)
Luke Romano (Canterbury, 22 Tests)
Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland, seven Tests)
Samuel Whitelock (Canterbury, 73 Tests)

Loose Forwards

Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty, 31 Tests)
Elliot Dixon (Southland, new cap)
Jerome Kaino (Auckland, 67 Tests)
Kieran Read, captain (Canterbury, 84 Tests)
Ardie Savea (Wellington, new cap)
Liam Squire (Tasman, new cap)

Backs
Halfbacks


Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Waikato, 20 Tests)
Aaron Smith (Manawatu, 47 Tests)

First five-eighths

Beauden Barrett (Taranaki, 36 Tests)
Aaron Cruden (Manawatu, 37 Tests)
Lima Sopoaga (Southland, one Test)

Midfielders

Ryan Crotty (Canterbury, 15 Tests)
Malakai Fekitoa (Auckland, 13 Tests)
Charlie Ngatai (Taranaki, one Test)
Seta Tamanivalu (Taranaki, new cap)

Outside backs

Israel Dagg (Hawke's Bay, 49 Tests)
Damian McKenzie (Waikato, new cap)
Waisake Naholo (Taranaki, three Tests)
Julian Savea (Wellington, 41 Tests)
Ben Smith (Otago, 48 Tests)
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