The Rugby Union Thread

tbm

koneguitarist said:

fretmeister said:

Saints need a big win tonight and someone else (can't remember off the top of my head) needs to be battered massively.

So I think Saints will be out after the weekend has finished.

I think you are right, Leinster will get more than one point, though i think you can do your bit by getting a bonus point win. Good luck.

Ospreys give us the willies BIG TIME! They've pooped the party at the RDS too many times down the years for me to be anything but nervous about this. I reckon Dan Biggar loves playing us away. They're generally close games, but even a losing BP has us going through as group winners though. Also, there's no Shane/Bowe etc and the Ospreys backline - save for Biggar - while exciting, aren't that inspiring. Still, The O's back are fantastic and I fully expect AWJ to have them pumped for this.

Should we win, bar a miracle we'll be in France for the QFs. I'm hoping for Toulouse. Seems mad to be thinking that but rather them then Clermont or Tulon.

Leicester V Ulster though, that's the game of the weekend.

tbm

bertie said:

 with one exception

So which was the good 'un?

bertie

Northampton beating Leinster 

koneguitarist

Been a few good games as far as I am concerned, enjoyed Toulouse V Saracens for one.

tbm

bertie;135706" said:

Northampton beating Leinster 

Thought that might have been it alright.

Ulster v Leicester at Ravenhill was great. Toulouse v Sarries, Toulouse v Connacht, Castres v Leinster. Racing v Clermont. Northampton v Leinster. Been a few if you ask me. It's great if games have loads of skill n all, but I like tense games. As long as they don't involve Leinster.

koneguitarist

Ref just handed game to Leinster  !!!!

tbm

Terrible game. I want to see the stamp again but regardless the incident ruined the match. And yet it still took Leinster 70mins to dispatch Ospreys. They left a few tries behind and they'll never have it so easy against the Os.

bertie

only cos it was totally unexpected, and a real "man up".

Not sure I watched the Toul/Saries  game.............

tbm

Watched the Evans stamp again. Not much arguing with it. He stamps down with pressure with a man on the ground. Tipuric or somebody else, can't tell, is at the back of the maul, pumping his legs, and as soon as he felt something other then the ground, he stopped.

Leinster knocked on at least 4 times with the try line there. Total white line fever.

Still, we're through.

koneguitarist

Well Ian Evans was definitely stamping down on player on ground, whether he could see it was head is pure conjecture on anyone's part. Players bound to him in front and behind he may look down but can he see anything or just the back of his own players? As for Cullen, a deliberate stamp on a player in open play that no one failed to see, and nothing not even a penalty. I think Leinster are a better side with a lot more depth than Ospreys who are in disarray to be honest. They deserved their win, but the way it was handed to them on a plate by ref was sickening to a rugby supporter. yes i am Welsh but not a ospreys fan as not my area.

tbm

Aye, Poite is a shockingly bad ref. it's not the first game I've seen him balls up.

I'm just here watching the Leicester v. Ulster highlights. They need to clone Nigel Owens. Such a pragmatic official. Not perfect, but comfortably the best ref around.

koneguitarist

tbm said:

Aye, Poite is a shockingly bad ref. it's not the first game I've seen him balls up.

I'm just here watching the Leicester v. Ulster highlights. They need to clone Nigel Owens. Such a pragmatic official. Not perfect, but comfortably the best ref around.

That Ulster vLeicester game was a fantastic advert for NH rugby, hammer and tongs at it from one end to the other. Having an official that understands the game is handy too. Great game.

Jalapeno

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/25827086

<Applauds very loudly> !!!!!!!!

bertie

Jon - Uncle Sam - Eve will be happy if it happens,    

fretmeister

I bet Ashton has a poster of George North in his bedroom & goes to sleep chanting "I wish I was like him, I wish I was like him"

koneguitarist

I think it's England's year to be honest. Got a lot of youngsters coming through, solid pack, with good set piece. If Wales are in top 3 at end of 6nations I will be happy.

bertie

koneguitarist said:

I think it's England's year to be honest. Got a lot of youngsters coming through, 

if they get picked !!

tbm

Given Wales injury woes I can't see them retaining the title, though there's a few game breakers still there - North, Tipuric, Roberts -  so you never know. If Lydiate comes back from Paris pissed off I think he should be given a run too. I know I'm hoping Sexton is livid at how shit his team has been and channels that energy into the green jersey.

I also think it'll be England though. It's been coming, and I really rate Lancaster. The players seem to really show up for him - save for Cardiff last March!

Ireland and France will battle it out for 3rd and 4th. Scotland 5th and Italy 6th. Personally, all I want to see is a coherant gameplan and some consistancy from Ireland. And the ability to change things if they're not going our way. Schmidts Leinster could do that.

I feckin love the 6 Nations!!!

CabbageCat

tbm said:

I feckin love the 6 Nations!!!

Wisdom for that bit.

fretmeister

It's official!

Ashton's been dropped!!