Rugby union?

Not the Ireland I enjoy watching here. Some beautiful play from France. That overhead kick leading to the try. Amazing.
 
Well, we're done. I would say France look the best team, despite England winning the title. I was really disappointed with England's game plan to kick incessantly rather than putting faith in their backs being able to best the Italians with ball in hand. Also "well done" to Scotland!
 
I thought we kicked away a few chances where a better team would have put it through the hands. We played the perecentages but good teams would have trusted themselves to work the overlap and get the advantage. So I agree with you.
 
Wales are clearly right Biggar was taken out in the air but the decision was fine. It was safe and didn't affect the game, I'm just amazed it was Poite that made the call because I find him a very picky and unhelpful ref.

Overall though Wales did well to hang in they were well outplayed by an Englad team at a completely different point in their development. Solid pack in all positions there is little between 1st and second choice. A back line with a few good players playing at a high level and the rest playing well enough and with enough skill and class that on teh front foot they are dangerous with decent stand ins in most positions.
 
Yeah, as a ref you need to use common sense in those situations that aren't black and white... is it dangerous and does it feel OK? Biggar jumped into the tackler who brought him to ground safely. The alternative was for the England players to part like the Red Sea in Biblical times and let Bigger run through to the try line unopposed, which is clearly ridiculous.

Talking of fair play, no team compares to Wales for the hooker taking two steps towards his team just before he throws at every lineout, and their scrum halves (all of them) regularly simulating picking up the ball at the back of a ruck/scrum trying to bait offside, both of which are offences... both of these really wind me up!
 
That was a crazy game. Hard work watching it as an England fan in places, France got too many easy turnovers and Farrell was kicking poorly. Baffled why they didn't switch kicker!
 
Awful game for the most part but so tense for the finish!

Normally would have won that comfortably, I don't think I've ever seen Farrell kick that badly.

Watching Gloscester v Quins atm, I thought we had thrown it away with a stupid sending off, but somehow have ended up with the BP in the bag and now 24-34 to the good with 5 left.....
 
I have to say in some areas have progressed and some areas they have regressed. The blitz defence and turnovers for the Autumn Nations and remainder Six Nations have been very good but they are not exploiting the hard won space as effectively as they were a year ago. The forwards are running better the backs are not backing themselves. For me is you get out of the habit and it ceases to be an available tactic/style so you have no change game to really rip teams apart when the chances present themselves. Very odd more dominant pack receding backline.
 
The England v France game was a perfect example that defences are too strong at international level. It's less of an issue at club level, but at international very few tackles are missed, and if support isn't < 1 second away when you are tackled it ends in a jackal or penalty... I can see why the back 3 (on all teams) are hesitant to run a kick back like they used to.

It was thought that lowering the tackle height would increase the number of offloads and thus line breaks, but the current trend is to remove the ball carriers legs with such force he is on the floor in an instant, so limited chance for a controlled offload, and then the jackal comes in the moment he hits the floor.
 
mid_gen said:
Watching Gloscester v Quins atm, I thought we had thrown it away with a stupid sending off, but somehow have ended up with the BP in the bag and now 24-34 to the good with 5 left.....
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As a Gloucester fan it was incredibly frustrating to watch, playing kick and chase isn't going to win games and it's not nice to watch either.

Agreed on the sending off, what a moronic thing to do. When you went down to 13 I genuinely thought Gloucester would win it.

I'm not a fan of the new play style since Ackermann left, Skivington hasn't been in long but I don't think his coaching style works for the club.
 
Stu said:
The England v France game was a perfect example that defences are too strong at international level. It's less of an issue at club level, but at international very few tackles are missed, and if support isn't < 1 second away when you are tackled it ends in a jackal or penalty... I can see why the back 3 (on all teams) are hesitant to run a kick back like they used to.

It was thought that lowering the tackle height would increase the number of offloads and thus line breaks, but the current trend is to remove the ball carriers legs with such force he is on the floor in an instant, so limited chance for a controlled offload, and then the jackal comes in the moment he hits the floor.
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I'd love to see some stats on turnovers. It certainly seems like the rule changes/clarifications that have made it a penalty basically as soon as the jackaler touches the ball has led to this.

If you have a fast aggressive back row (which all the best teams do), as it's now so easy to effect a turnover and penalty and thus score points from defending, there's zero incentive to have the ball in your own half....the best option is to kick and defend.
 
Agree, jackalling the ball, getting a penalty when jackalling, or the attacking team giving a penalty for closing the ball off because they are afraid of the jackal... all having a negative impact on attacking rugby. As a back three, god help you if you go alone and get tackled.
 
Probably only thing that will correct international rugby is to reduce the number of substitutes, 8 or 10 on bench but only allowed 4 or 5 in game. If you have to change someone for injury reasons after using allowance, say in front row, it's taken from your next match allowance. That way player weights will have to come down and the blitz particularly for the heavy lads becomes a more difficult proposal.
 
I'd be quite happy to see tiring defences again. Professional players with 23 man squads are easily capable of firing at 100% for the full 80 minutes.

These cases of dementia are going to have an impact. I've had a fair few concussions in my time playing and tbh I am having second thoughts about joining up to the local team....might just play touch instead or cricket.

Gawd thinking back to times I've been sparked out and stumbled on for the 80 minutes and done a session afterwards....not too clever, but it's always been like that in the amateur game as long as I've been involved.

I hope that attitude is starting to be addressed in the youth game.
 
Going well for Bristol as I type this - 0-21 after 17 minutes against Clermont in the Champions Cup :o

Starting to get some territory now, but damn have they ended up in a hole...

***edit***

Did their best, couldn't quite do enough. 38-51.
 
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