The Rugby Union Thread

snakemanStoo

2017 Six Nations to use the bonus point system.

With added BBC content : http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38157831

digitalscream

Well...wow. I don't know what Eddie Jones said at half time, but that's the best comeback performance I've seen from England in years.

Part of me was wondering whether we really deserved the #2 spot, but now that we've convincingly beaten everyone in the top 10 except the All Blacks...starting to believe. A little.

snakemanStoo

Slow start from England but some great play in the second half.

And, every match this year won.  Record equaling team.  Not too bad at all.

scrumhalf

I was quite worried there for a while, the Aussies seemed to be streamrollering us.

Hat-tip to Nathan Hughes on his full debut.

sev112

scrumhalf said:

I was quite worried there for a while, the Aussies seemed to be streamrollering us.

Hat-tip to Nathan Hughes on his full debut.

Yes in those first 20 mins he didn't do great, but neither did anyone

thereafter he was everywhere - very good game

koneguitarist

I think it's fair to say this is no false dawn, and England are back.
hopefully along with Ireland they can restore some pride to the NH game. 
Congratulations England.

tbm

What do folk think of the George North HIA thing? How the feck was he allowed to keep playing? He was out cold when he hit ground.  

fretmeister

Saints official statement is that he never lost consciousness.

GN has said he remained still as he thought he felt his neck go. Waited for medics to check before moving.

tbm

jaysus, he went pretty limp.

fretmeister

Yeah. I thought he was out cold. Team were on twitter about 5 mins afterwards saying not.

He can't afford many more knocks to the head. 

tbm

Pat Lam moving to Bristol next year! He'll leave Connacht with nothing but massive good will for all he's done there, and he'll have a challenge on his hands to make Bristol a Premiership team at all, because chances are he'll be starting in the Championship.  

He's some boy. Really seemed to like it out west. 

scrumhalf

Hopefully Connacht will be devastated this week and next.

Lam should sort Briz out.

tbm

Even without Sexton its a very strong Leinster starting 15 v Saints:

15. Rob Kearney

14. Adam Byrne

13. Garry Ringrose

12. Robbie Henshaw

11. Isa Nacewa (captain)

10. Joey Carbery

9. Luke McGrath

1. Jack McGrath

2. Sean Cronin

3. Tadhg Furlong

4. Devin Toner

5. Hayden Triggs

6. Sean O’Brien

7. Josh van der Flier

8. Jamie Heaslip

Replacements:

16. James Tracy

17. Cian Healy

18. Michael Bent

19. Rhys Ruddock

20. Jack Conan

21. Jamison Gibson-Park

22. Ross Byrne

23. Rory O’Loughlin

Check out the back row! Carbery is green, but looks the real deal. Should be the game of the weekend. 

fretmeister

It wont be.

Saints will get torn apart.

Rumour is that Mallinder is going soon. 

eSully

Very strong Leinster team, I assume North is out for the Saints. Looking forward to the Munster - Tigers game myself.

tbm

To be fair the saints back row doesn't look to shabby. and Hartley in reserve too. How's JJ going at center @fretmeister? ;

fretmeister

Saints back row is fine, front row is fine, and half the 2nd row is fine. Although Lawes and Wood put in massive shifts last weekend, I'm betting there will be some tiredness still.

The problem is the sloppy ball handling in the backs and, as much as his kicking accuracy is astonishing, Myler has no flair at fly half.

JJ was supposed to end up being Myler's replacement, but he can't kick consistently enough, so we're trying him at centre to see if he can control things from there - he has a bit more imagination.

Still nothing like Ford or Cips though. Saints need to spend money on a good fly half.

Elliot, Foden, North have all been very good this year (particularly Foden who seems to have found his form again) but if the ball never gets out there...

The Pisi's have been great, but they are not young anymore. Groom is great, if only we could have had him and Khan. But Khan went and captain slow Dicko has stayed.

(They've been my team since the mid 1980s, but I'm a bit annoyed at the moment!)

tbm

Carbery off injured. Leinster 4th choice out half on the field after 15 mins. Not that I want them too, but Saints have be targeting him. 

eSully

tbm said:

Carbery off injured. Leinster 4th choice out half on the field after 15 mins. Not that I want them too, but Saints have be targeting him. 

Leinster have been fairly comfortable though. Probably deserve to be further ahead.

fretmeister said:

JJ was supposed to end up being Myler's replacement, but he can't kick consistently enough,

Surprised by that. He had very good kicking stats at Munster if I remember correctly. Definitely better than Keatley. 

tbm

That Northampton bench are going to cause us all sorts of bother when they come on though. You're right @eSully, Leinster  needed something from all that pressure.